Laissez les bons temps rouler!
by XxFleurdelySxX
Summary: AU. What if Rogue was a normal human without mutant powers, and was in vacation with a friend in New Orleans, and get's involved in an ageless family feud... [rated for sexual references yay!]
1. Un

**Finaly! There it is! I've been promising it for weeks (I think), and many ideas have been wandering in my head. I've tried lots of times to write the first chapters, but it never was satisfying to my eyes, and I kept deleting it. Then I had the idea of something different. AU, you call it? A world where Rogue is normal and can touch people, and have a job in ****New York****, and a (normal, too) best friend called Raven who comes on vacation with her to… ****New Orleans****? Oh my God, could this be a coincidence? LOL!**

**Enjoy!**

_Chapitre premier_

Well, there they were. Nice vacation indeed. She cast a look around her and sighed, before grimacing as the loud music vrilled into her ear drums. If they didn't get out of this bar, she would turn deaf eternaly.

"Rav!" she yelled in the ear of the girl sitting next to her. The curly brown girl had her eyes closed and her head was gently bopping up and down, following the so-called rhythm that was supposed to be present in the trash her ears were suffering. "RAVEN!" The girl opened wide caramel eyes, and stared at her.

"What's wrong, Jade?" she yelled back.

"_This is wrong!" she screamed back, opening her arms and gesturing, including pretty much everything in her gesture. "Let's go somewhere else!" Raven's face showed dissapointment, but Jade glared at her. "Ah want some air!" Raven's features turned to resignation, and she nodded, getting up._

She took a deep intake of air once outside, and tried to forget the buzzing sound in her ear. Damn, she already _was_ deaf, they had gotten out too late.

"I was having fun!" Raven weaned somewhere behind her.

"Ah, come on girl!" Jade whirled on her heels and pointed a finger at her friend. "Yah wanted some nice vacation in New Orleans, and first night we've arrived, where off to the bars! We didn't need to go miles away from home for that, there're plenty in New York!" Raven smiled and cocked her head to the side.

"Well, let's go sight-seeing, then. There must be something opened at 2 in the morning" she said ironicaly. Jade snorted.

"Yah're impossible, Rav. Yankee wanted to get herself a nice southerner, didn't yah? I have cousins yah could meet…"

"Not a southerner, girl." Raven smiled and put a finger to her lips. "I want to get myself a Cajun… such charm! And the accent!"

Jade rolled her eyes to the sky.

"There has to be a café somewhere. Ah need something strong." Raven laughed, and turned around to look at their surroundings. They weren't really far from the Quartier Français, in the middle of tourism season, there had to be something open at this hour. It wasn't that late, after all.

"I think I see one, over there."

~~

"So yah gals are here for some vacation, hein? When d'yah get here in New Orleans?"

"We got here this morning…"

Jade's attention skid away from Raven's blabbing, and sighed. The guy wasn't Cajun, but she had to say he was good looking, and Raven had probably caught his eye. She always did, anyways. She looked around, her chin resting on her closed fist. It was a nice, cozy café, and many pictures ornated the dark blue walls. The dark wooden tables were small, with no more than two or three places each, and small table-centers held white candles, burning a light relaxing glow. Even the red velvet chairs were comfortable. They were the only customers at this hour, so the waiter had seated with them, and the sound of his and Raven's voice were lolling her into a half-sleep. The voice of the waiter changed suddently, and she opened her eyes.

"Yah really should be careful in tha streets at this hour, gals. Yah're lucky yah still have yah wallets." Raven laughed gently, and put her manicured hand on the waiter's arm.

"We're from New York, darling. We're not scared of mindless street thieves." It was the man's turn to laugh.

"Yah're lucky if yah only meet a half-dead starving child here, maybe yah'll notice if he picks yahr purse. No, I'm talking about tha Thieves."

"What about tha Thieves?" she was slowly waking up, and the waiter turned his head to meet her eyes.

"Tha Guilds rule the streets here. Tha Thieves aren't dangerous, only for yah wallet, like Ah said. They usualy steal big places and rich stuff, not wallets, but they have kids, and kids have to learn somewhere… No, it's tha Assassins yah have to be wary about." Raven looked worried, and frowned.

"Why? What do they do? Run around and shoot everybody?"

"Shoot? No, that's not an honorable way to kill… They usualy attack only their ennemies, and should leave you alone. But if Ah were yah, Ah'd try to stay away from both Guilds. They hate each other, yah know. Old family feud, nobody knows when it began."

**Okay so it's short… But come on! You can guess what's going to follow… I promise fluff! Pure fluff and sappy and pointless… Maybe a plot isn't something necessary in a fluffy story, but hell, I had to set it up some way…**


	2. Deux

**You want fluff? I'm giving you the summum. And if your heart doesn't beat a little faster by the end of this chapter… tell me. I'll do better in the next chapter. *wink***

**x0MzJeNNa0x : I hope you like it… Hmmm, maybe I'll upgrade the rating, though.**

**ishandahalf : I knew you'd love it. There's the fluff! And it's ****no "cheap fluff",**** believe me. Pure. Real. You called me a master of fluff? I'm taking this seriously.**

**Enjoy.**

_Chapitre deux_

Jade slowly opened her eyes and stretched, moaning. The clock on the desk near the bed showed 11 in the morning, and a bright sun shone through the light curtains. She smiled. Plenty of shopping ahead, and a long walk in the French Quarter. And for Raven's crave for men, a run in the bars in late evening. A perfect vacation day. She pushed away the blankets, only to find that Raven was already up and dressed, and getting ready to go downstairs.

"Yah're already up?"

"I slept like a baby! And I can't wait for the day to begin…" Jade laughed and got out of bed.

"Slow down, sugah… We still have plenty of time."

~~

The place was full of people, talking loud and eating icecream of the small icecream bar not very far away in the street. The market was a very popular place, even for a Monday, and Jade and Raven had to push their way through a mob of excited tourists. A man passed a little too near them, though, and bumped into Jade, knocking her to fall into Raven's arms.

"Oh_, pardon, mesdemoiselles_." The man turned on his heels and held out a hand to Jade to help her getting on her feet again. The man was older than them, perhaps in his early thirties, and had bright blue eyes in a handsome face. Long blonde locks fell in his face, and he was quite tall. He looked strange though, wearing a trench coat despite the heat and humidity, and seemed to be wearing a black suit under the coat. He grinned, showing a neat display of white teeth. "I should be more careful."

"It's… it's okay." She smiled at him, and drew back her arm from his grip. "Ah should have been more careful too." He winked and nodded, and left, pushing his way to the other side of the market. The girls turned the other way, and stopped in front of a hot sauce stand. Jade opened her purse to buy some. 

"Oh…my…God!" squealed Raven. "It was a Cajun! And he talked _French_!"

"Well well, isn't _that_ a surprise! In tha middle of tha _French_ Quarter!" she said ironicaly, a little annoyed by Raven's reaction. She fumbled in her purse, looking for her wallet.

"He was _georgous_! And charming, and…"

"Don't push it, Rav… Oh my Gawd, tha bastard!" Raven frowned.

"What?"

"He stole my wallet!"

~~

"You always choose de most beautiful, Henri."

"Runs in de family, _mon frère."_

"Maybe, but I don'go and steal their money…"

"_Non_, of course. You're an honest man! You just aim for de heart!"

"Shut up, you two. Dinner time is not for fightin', and certainly not in m'house!" Jean-Luc's voice was loud and gruff enough for both grown men to stop talking, and the two glared at each other over their empty plates. Jean-Luc rose, and turned to his older son. "Henri, we have some business to do tonight." Henri nodded, but the auburn haired man raised his head, meeting his father's eyes.

"How come I'm not comin' tonight?" Jean-Luc stared into his son's incredible eyes, and glared.

"Remy, you're just not part of business tonight."

"Yeah, don't y'have any ladies waitin' fo'you somewhere?" Remy snapped his head to look at Henri.

"Don't push it, _frère_. Y'might regret it."

~~

"I hope you like this bar better than last night's, 'cause I really love it."

"It's great, Rav. Much better."

Both girls were sitting at a small table in a bar, sipping a drink which name she didn't remember. It was sweet and tasted like juice, though, and she made a note to herself it could be dangerous drinking too much of something that didn't taste like alcohol. The bar itself was much calmer than last night's. There was some music, but the speakers were only on the dance floor, and it was possible to talk, if a little louder than usual, without having to scream in the other's ear. It was also a lot darker, and Jade frowned. She could hear a lot of French talking around them, more than English, and she had become suspicious about Cajuns. 

She hadn't even tried to find the Cajun who had robbed her at the market, she knew it was impossible with all the people walking around. Besides, he was a professionnal and she probably couldn't have find him in an empty room.

"Hi!" Raven and her looked up to meet a flashing smile. "I'm, huh… I'm here for travelling, and I don't really know the place… Since there isn't a free table in the place, I wondered if I could sit with you girls… My name's Bobby."

The man was tall and well shaped, and blue eyes shone under ash blonde hair. And Raven could never resist such a round behind. She smiled, and pulled back one of the two remaining chairs at their table. "Sure, darling, sit down! My name's Raven, and this is my friend Jade. We're on vacation too, we aren't from New Orleans."

Jade smiled. Maybe she should get herself a guy if she wanted to survive her vacation with Raven without dying of boredom. She sighed. She couldn't… Men hurt. And she didn't want to be hurt anymore. She didn't have Raven's easiness to forgive and forget about the men she met in her life, and she had the bad habit of putting her whole soul into a relationship that always left her thirsty for more. No man for her, she thought, but she couldn't ignore the pinch in her heart as she looked at Raven and Bobby.

"You were robbed?" She blinked, starting out of her reverie, when she noticed Bobby's question was adressed to her.

"What?"

"You met a pickpocket? The little fellows seem to run the streets here, I heard about these kids…"

"It was no kid. It was a full grown man, with a black suit and a trench coat."

Bobby's eyes went round. "You got robbed by a member of the Thieves Guild?" It was Jade's turn to be surprised.

"What? They all wander around in a trench coat?"

"That's what I heard about their uniform."

~~

She was getting bored by the moment. Raven and Bobby had been on the dance floor for a while, and she was tired of pushing away invitations to dance by total strangers. She yawned and looked at the dance floor, looking for Raven, but her eyes caught a flash of red, and she frowned. She shook her head, and blinked several times before looking back. Surely his eyes couldn't be…

He was standing by the pool table, watching the game and laughing with the men around him. He was tall and wide shoulders shown under the t-shirt he was wearing along with used blue jeans and combat boots. He had long auburn hair, probably shoulder-length, and it was gathered in a rather messy ponytail, and the escaping shorter locks were secured behind his ears. A dark three-days shadow covered long, homely cheeks, and thin lips streched in a smile as one of his friends shouted something to his oponent at the pool table. From where she was, she could tell his eyes were dark, but he was talking to a girl and she could only see his profile, and the red gleam she thought she had seen in his eyes was invisible. He was breath-taking.

He seemed to feel someone was staring at him, for he turned his head and looked at the tables, searching for a face. Blushing, she looked down at her drink, hoping he haven't seen her. She stared down for what looked like a reasonnable time, and cast a look at the pool table.

He was watching her. Their eyes met, and she gasped when the red irises gleamed under the spots light. She felt the blush rising to her cheeks again, but this time didn't look away. He kept eye contact as well, cocking his head, and a smile slowly appeared on his lips. She felt a harsh burning feeling warming the pit of her stomach and her lips part involuntarily, and she fought back the urge she suddently had to get up and walk…

"Hey, Jade, I'm tired, want to go back at the hotel?" Raven stood in front of her, blocking the view on the pool table, and Jade jerked her head up to glare at her friend.

"Oh, _now_ yah wanna go!" Raven put on her hurt look.

"Well, _you_ stayed seated all night, waiting for something to happen, instead of going male hunting." Raven rolled her eyes upwards, and pointed at the door. "I'm going to the hotel. Are you staying?"

"Ah… Ah have to go to the bathroom, but I'll leave too."

"You want me to wait for you?"

"No, Rav, Ah'll call a cab."

"Fine… be careful." Raven waved and walked to the door, and Jade got up. She looked at the pool table, but he was gone. The entire gang was gone, in fact, replaced by a noisy group of underaged teens. She sighed and walked to the bathrooms.

She got out of the smelly cabins and pushed the wooden door. She walked without looking where she was headed, and bumped into something soft and warm, loosing balance. She took a step back and a hand closed on her arm, steadying her.

"Careful, _chère_. Wouldn't want to hurt dat pretty face o'yours." She looked up and was started to stared into pure red on black eyes. Seen upclose, he was even more georgous she had though, and all air left her lungs. He towered almost a head over her, and smelled like a mix of spices, cigarette and a sweet smelling men's cologne. 

He recognized her too, and the ironic look on his face turned into amazement.

They stared into each other's eyes for what seemed like hours. Every sound around her was muffled in the beating of her heart beating madly in her ears. She wasn't the only one; his own breath was shallow and harsh, and he licked his lips. She was half conscious of him being very near to her, and of her leaning on the brick wall, his body blocking view and escape. He leaned down, his eyes inches from hers.

"Did ye feel it too?" he whispered, his breath hot on her cheeks, and a wave of warmth shook her body, making her shiver.

"F… feel what?" she stammered, the words hardly making it through her throath.

"Feel dis." His mouth settled on hers. 

He tasted spicy and hot, with a lingering taste of beer and tobacco, and she opened her mouth with a moan, inviting him. She didn't have to ask twice, and his tongue met hers. Gooseflesh raised on her arms as his own warm body pressed against hers, crushing her against the wall. His hands drew up and cupped her face before running into her loose curly hair. She arched her back without even thinking about it and he groaned, his hands going down and settling on the small of her back, his hips pressing hers. Her hands weren't inactive either, running through the soft auburn hair, making the ponytail go loose, and pulling his head down, pressing his mouth against hers. She could hear her heart beating like a marching band, and it dawned on her that maybe it was his heart she was hearing as well.

Then, from a dark corner of her mind, a voice talked. 'This is crazy, gal. Yah don't even know that guy! He could be a Thieve, or an Assassin…' Her eyes opened, and she put her hands flat on his chest, gently pushing him away. She swallowed hard before looking up, her knees watery, and blushed when she saw his narrowed eyes were covered with a light mist of desire.

"Who are you?" he whispered. She became conscious of the music and noises around her as her heart slowled down.

"Ah have to go." He took his hands off her and took a step back, still staring at her. She kept her eyes locked on the ground, and quickly walked towards the door. She pushed it opened and a draft of hot, humid air drifted over her. She didn't want to, but looked back at the corner where he was still standing leaning on the brick wall, arms crossed on his chest, and a seducing smile on his lips.

**Phiew! Is it hot in here or is it just me?**

**To be continued!**


	3. Trois

_Trois_

She could still feel it. It had been so strong, and she had liked feeling it so much. She only wanted to do it again. Kiss a total stranger? That was far from her style. But she had been drawn towards that stranger like steel to a magnet, and the desire she had felt for him woke up like a burning fire in her hips each time she thought of those incredible eyes on her. She had lost all control on herself, on her thoughts, on what she wanted. She never knew a man could put her upside down like that, marking her mind with a red poker so that she believed she never could forget such a kiss.

Heat rose in her body again, and she pushed away the white jersey blankets. She sat up in the bed and put her feet on the ground, trying to make her head stop spinning. And throbbing. And hurting… She moaned and let herself fall back in the pillow, squinting her eyes so the light of the sun wouldn't wake up the marching band in her head. She heard a noise and cracked open one eye, to see Raven was leaning on the doorframe to the bathroom, kind of looking for the worse as well. Raven rubbed both her hands on her face, then looked down at Jade.

"I have to find the name of that drink, so I don't drink it again. That thing is dangerous."

"Yah have no idea." Jade tried to sit up again, and looked up at Raven, who took a good look at her friend. Her mouth slowly opened, and she smiled.

"Oooooh, I think I do! You found yourself a man, Jade?" Jade snapped her head up at Raven, but instantly regretted it as a bolt of pure white pain shot right into her brain. She clutched her head with both hands, massaging her temples and brain skull, but the pain didn't fade right away, settling to throb painfully with every heart beat.

"What? What do yah mean?"

"Don't take me for a fool, Jade… It's written all over your face. Not knowing the symptoms and not knowing you, I couldn't tell… but…"

Jade slowly got out of the bed and put a hand on the bed table, waiting for the room to stop swaying like a small boat in the middle of a storm. She walked to the bathroom. Putting her hands on both sides of the sink, she lifted her heavy head to look at her reflection on the mirror.

The sight wasn't pretty. Her reddish brown hair had mostly come out of the plait she did before going to sleep, and it shot in all directions, the paler bangs over her forehead desperately trying to join with the ceiling. Her green eyes were glossy and red, and her makeup had transferred from her eyes to her cheeks. She moaned and splashed her face several times with very, very cold water, and looked up. She made a febble smile to her reflection. Not perfect, but much better. Only then she saw what Raven had noticed right away. Her lips were slightly swollen and redder than usual, and the corners of her mouth were red, like they have been scratched by…

"He hadn't shaved for a few days, didn't he?" Jade's eyes flickered left to stare at Raven's reflection in the mirror, leaning against the doorframe again, and watching her with growing amusement.

"How do yah know?" Raven's amusement turned into a friendly smile, and she put a hand on Jade's head, smoothing her hair back.

"Honey, you take guys too seriously, but I'm a professionnal in just having some fun. And by reading your lips" she chuckled "I can tell you had a lot last night."

She was hesitating between laughing and throttling Raven, and she settled for the civilized way of reacting. She smiled, and walked back to her bed, sitting on the edge. Looking up, she caught Raven's wink, and made a little laugh. "Ah did."

"I knew it!" Raven hopped to her bed, and sat next to her. "What's his name?" Jade's face went blank, and Raven snorted with suppressed laughter. "You don't know his name?"

"Ah… no, Ah don't."

"Does he know yours?" Jade was blushing by the second, and she was staring at her hands.

"No."

"No!? What, you don't have a phone number or something? Was it that dark you don't remember what he looks like?"

"Oh, Ah remember what he's like" she answered, and blushed even more when she noticed her voice was harsh with the remembering of him, his lips, his hands… Raven squealed with laughter, and she grabbed Jade's arm.

"Oh, Jade! We _have_ to find that guy!" Jade stomach emitted a loud growl, and she put her free hand on it to stop it.

"Later. First, we eat. Let's go downstairs."

~~

The bed and breakfast was a homely, comfy place to be on vacation, and the kitchen had to be Jade's favorite place. A lunch counter separated the kitchenette from the dining room, where a gigantic hard wood table big enough for fifteen lay in the middle of the room, covered with a red and white check table cloth, and decorated with a huge fresh wild flower bouquet every morning. An old brown TV was hung up in the corner of the dining room and was always turned on, showing today's news since the channel couldn't be changed on the old thing, but people were rarely listening to it, prefering loud talk and laughing over breakfast. This morning though, everyone was silent, and the volume of the television was raised to maximum level. Raven and Jade arrived as the anchor announced some accident on the highway, and the stopped in the doorway, seeing everybody's stern face. Jade turned to the land lady, a short and round lady in her fifties, that usualy wore a wide white smile on her face. Today, though, her face was as dark as the people joined around the table, and she looked worried.

"What's going on, mrs Jarry?" The land lady raised her eyes to look at her.

"Oh… The Assassins attacked again. Five high members of the Thieves Guild were killed, including the leader, and one of his sons."

"We are friends to the Thieves Guild" her husband explained. "I have family in the Guild, and we knew Jean-Luc LeBeau and Henri quite… well. The members can come here and seak refuge." The lady moaned, and put her face in her hands.

"I hope Remy's going to be alright" she moaned, her voice muffled in her hands.

**To be continued!**


	4. Quatre

**Oh wow, I'm actually having more fun writing this than Sixteen Years (and I have a feeling it's getting a little bit more attention… I'm afraid Sixteen Years doesn't get as fluffy as you wanted it, so you're jumping on this one for your daily dosage. And that's fine with me!). And I'm so mad! There never, _never was supposed to be a full plot twist and everything, I wanted to write full fluff and no villains… Well, at least I got rid of the X-Men responsabilities, but hell, I killed Jean-Luc and Henri LeBeau! Damn. Now I have to write the whole story! __Enfer et damnation. Well. I don't really have the choice now do I? I have to finish this, now, until I find a way for Remy and Antoine to at least stop killing each other._**

**Neurotic Temptress : Well, the mighty magnetic power of plot caught me, and I _had to have something go wrong in all this bliss. Nothing is ever easy with me, and I had to find a way to introduce some Remy anger, which is always a good mix with love at first sight. So I killed. Sorry!_**

**Panther Nesmith : Yeah, I wondered why Henri had to die all the time. But like I said to Neurotic Temptress, it was a (radical) way of making Remy's life miserable for a time, for the sake of plot (I have to get rid of this plot addiction of mine).**

**ishandahalf : I GOT AN AWARD! AN ISHANDAHALF AWARD! Wow! *wipes a tear* Now, I'm putting _that in my summary, like an oscar winning on a DVD case. Ooooooh, I'm so happy you liked the part in chapter II! After, you're the one who gave me the idea of writing this! I have to say I was rather breathless myself when I finaly posted it, and that I have the intention of making them do that again… Will I have to change the rating? Well maybe not, but… Hey, pure fluff! Promised! I have to get rid of the wicked plot (grrr, why do I always do that?) that came in the story by itself first. Oh, and I make you squeal with delight? *blushes* Oh, I feel so important now!_**

**x0MzJeNNa0x : Oh, you're welcome for the fluff! I wrote it for myself as well, I was getting quite depressed with Sixteen Years (which isn't turning as well as I wished, alas), so I had to write some hot fluff a bit. More to come! Fluff is a need for me as well, and there doesn't seem to be a lot on FF.N these days!**

**KatLeBeau : Well, the strong plot and everything weren't supposed to be, but it seems I can't write a story without putting my characters in every kind of difficulties… As for the passionate kiss, well *blush* I needed to write something like this a lot. More to come! As for the after effects, I take they are greatly attributable to alcohol, but hey, who knows what a kiss with Remy can lead to… *sigh***

**Enjoy!**

_Chapitre quatre_

He felt dizzy, and his vision was grey around the edges. He shook his head as she pushed him away, and he gathered breath with difficulty, gasping.

"Who are you?" he whispered, his head turning.

"Ah have to go" she just answered. His heart stopped for a second, but he nodded and took a step back, swallowing hard. He didn't want to stop, he wanted to taste those sweet full lips again, and feel her hands in his hair and on his chest. Everything in him told him to grab her arms and keep her near, but he drew back his hands from her hot body and let his arms drop to his sides. She walked away and he leaned on the wall, his lips streching in a dreamy smile.

He had kissed many women, and not one had gave him what he just had with that girl. He watched her walk away from him, and panic slowly seeped in him. Would he see her again? What did that kiss mean? And why the hell did he jumped on that woman like a cat on a mouse?

He wanted to walk to her, pick her in his arms, and kiss her again like they had done moments ago, like they where alone in the world. He stared at her back, willing her to turn around, to look at him. And she did. 

"You little rogue" he whispered, catching a last sight of her as she pushed the door open. He smiled. He would see her again.

~~ 

He knew something was wrong the moment he entered the mansion, and heard numerous loud voices coming from the living room the other side of the hall. Someone was waiting for him, thought, and he recognized Mercy sitting in the stairs, her body rolled in a ball and her forehead leaning on her knees. She raised it when she heard the door close, and he ran to her when he saw her red eyes and wet cheeks. He crouched in front of her and put a hand on her shoulder, gently shaking her.

"Mercy, what's wrong?" She stared at him for a moment, and her face broke when she tried to speak.

"Hen… Henri's dead. T…They k..killed him" she stammered before breaking into uncontrolable sobs. Remy sat abruptly on his feet, his knees hitting the floor hard.

"What?"

"De Assassins came in de middle o'de meetin'." Remy jerked his head up to look at the newcomer, and recognized one of his father's associates, Pierre. "Five o'dem were killed, de others managed to escape." Remy rose to his feet, feeling his head turning for the second time in the evening. Though this time, he wished it really was a dream. 

"Where's m'father?" Pierre didn't blink, his face carefuly blank, but sadness flickered in his eyes, and Remy's heart skipped a beat. "Non…"

~~

"Who's Remy?" Raven asked.

"Remy LeBeau is the second son of Jean-Luc, and now, surely the new leader of the Thieves Guild" another man spoke. "I can't help but thinking he's young for it, though…"

"Remy's been through a lot" a woman said on the other side of the table. "The poor kid was old before he was only ten."

Discussion ensued, the matter being the Remy guy both girls didn't know. Raven whispered in Jade's ear.

"All of this is very sad, but we don't know the guy and I'm bored… Let's go outside." Jade nodded.

The streets were calmer than usual, most people having obviously decided to stay inside despite the sunny day, and Jade became worried. She remembered what the waiter had told them the first night they had arrived. 'The Guilds rule the streets here.' And the Guilds were in a war right now. Suddently, the calm streets and empty cafés made sense. "Raven, Ah think we should get back to the b&b… The Guilds maybe all around the place, and Ah don't wanna be part of it."

"Don't be ridiculous, Jade! They won't shoot at each other in the middle of the street!" Jade sighed, and followed her friend. "Come on, Jade! We haven't been in that part of the city."

Jade frowned. "That's probably because it ain't a touristic part. It looks like a mini swamp-Brooklyn. Let's go back."

"No! Look over there! A restaurant!"

She wouldn't eat the food here for anything in the world. She didn't even know what they were doing here, and she didn't like the curious glances they were getting by the men sitting in the place. It was filthy and smelled like humidity, and Jade tugged at Raven sleeve. "Rav, let's get out of here."

"Good idea."

"I don' think so, les filles." They turned to meet a tall man in late twenties, with dirty brown hair and chocolate brown eyes. He looked quite angry with them, though Jade wasn't sure why. "How did'y get here?"

"We walked." Raven was flushing, and Jade guessed that she was on her way in getting them into trouble.

"We know y'walked. We followed'y" said another man. A strong feeling of uneasiness made it's way in Jade's stomach. Where the hell were they?

"And y'live in de Thieves' bed'n breakfast, don'ya?" The uneasiness switched into fear as she realized they were in the middle of a group of Assassins. Assassins who thought they were on the Thieves' side, of course.

"We didn't know it belonged to the Thieves" she said, hoping they would believe her. The door was so close…

"I don' think I b'lieve you, les filles" the brown man said. "I'm afraid we'll…"

"Run, Raven!" She grabbed Raven's arm and turned, pushing the door. They heard exclamations behind them, and she swallowed her tears when she heard the sound of steps behind them. Raven's grip was tight on her hand, and she puffed as hard as her. Jade felt her knees water with effort as she tried to get out of whatever territory they had got on, but she knew the Assassins weren't far behind, and she could hear their shouts.

"Là! Je les vois!"*

She didn't have time to realize what was happening. A gun shot ran through her ears, and Raven's hand slacken as she fell face first on the pavement with an exclamation of pain. "Raven!" Jade yelled, watching her friend with disbelief. A look at the end of the alley way showed her a mob of tourist, and she sobbed and began to ran again. There, she would find help.

~~

The gun shot surprised him and he looked up at the mob around him, eyes narrowed. Were the Assassins somewhere near? On the Thieves' territory? He and ten other Thieves were on the public place, and his curiosity won. He headed for a nearby backstreet, and something collided hard with him, knocking him down on his back on the sidewalk, a shaking hysteric woman in his arms. Pierre and the other Thieves were around him in a second, and he sat up, taking the woman by the arms and gently shaking her. She lifted her head and looked at him with watering green eyes.

There was a split second moment where he was sure all air was sucked away from his lungs, and her own eyes grew huge with recognition. Then they heard shouts coming from the end of the street, and his face hardened. Assassins.

"Please…" the woman said, her head falling forward to lean on his chest. "Help me." He stood up and pushed the woman in Pierre's arm, and stared at the brown haired man standing a dozen feet in front of him.

"What are y'doin' here, Julien?"

**Theeeeeeere you go! Reunited again!**

**To be continued!**

*There! I can see them!


	5. Cinq

**I couldn't stand it anymore. I've become hooked to that story, so here I am, at nearly midnight, writing a note about the chapter I've just written. I hope you like the sweetness, I needed to write something nice before I go to bed… Talking about bed, I have to go now, I have to get up at 5 in order to get ready for work…**

**Sorry for the mistakes, if there are some, I didn't really re-read this… My eyes won't work…**

**Enjoy! And thanks to those who had time to read and review before I posted this… lol**

_Chapitre cinq_

She kept her hands twisted in her lap, now and then casting a worried look at the bed where a strange woman was tending Raven's wounds. The brunette was unconscious, having bumped her head hard when she had fallen, but she didn't look as bad as Jade would have thought she did. She was in no danger, though, and it was enough for her to know. For now. The old woman was humming gently as she dressed the wound in Raven's shoulder, and Jade looked at her more closely. She mustn't have been older than 65, but her hair was a bright silvery white, and was braided with multicolored wooden beads that clicked softly whenever she would move. She had soft brown eyes full of intelligence, and her slender fingers, each one ornated with a silver ring, moved swiftly over the bandages, like butterflies over a flower. She looked back at her face, and blushed when she saw the woman was staring at her, and smiled. A long white hand reached out and touched her cheek.

"You're friend'll be fine. She just needs some sleep." The door opened and closed gently, and both women turned towards the door. Jade felt her heart squeeze, and her eyes locked with the red gaze. The old woman smiled. "Remy, what are'y doin' here? De girl needs rest." Remy's eyes moved to her, and he smiled back.

"I know she's in good hands, tante Mattie. I was here t'show our other guess t'her room." Jade blushed and rose to her feet, and look a last time at Raven's sleeping face. Then she stared into Mattie's eyes.

"Tell me when she wakes up." Mattie nodded, and Jade followed Remy out of the room.

The house was georgous. The walls were richly decorated, and antique furniture could be seen in every corner. Jade opened her eyes wide, trying to see everything, until Remy stopped, and opened a door for her. She gasped. A huge four post bed layed in the middle of a big room, covered with at least ten blankets and three mattresses. The room was decorated in shades of green, and she had view on a dense moss green forest behind the window. Another door was cracked open on the other side of the room, through which she could guess a pure white private bathroom. She walked in the vast bedroom, mouth agape, fingers lingering on the dust-free wooden furniture, and sat on the bed, hands smoothing the soft fabric and feet dangling a feet over the green thick-carpeted floor.

"I'll understand y'like it." She started. She had almost forgotten she wasn't alone. She gulped, her eyes shying away from his, and spoke in a harsh voice.

"Ah dreamed of a bedroom like that when Ah was a little gal. Ah love it."

"I'm glad y'do." She inhaled deeply, and looked at him.

He was wearing the same thing the man who had robbed her on the street did, from the black suit to the deep brown trench coat. He still had his hair tied back, but he looked much less relaxed than he had back at the bar.

"Do y'have a single idea where y'are, girl?" he snapped. He was much less gentle too, and his voice was gruff. 

"Ah'd guess it's your house."

"It's my f… it's… it's mine." A flicker of sadness crossed the red irises. "You are presently sittin' in a guest room of de LeBeau mansion, fille. Headquarters of de Thieves Guild, of which I'm leader now."

"Ah guessed." He frowned, and she pointed at his clothes. "Ah got robbed at the market yesterday, and tha man wore the exact same thing." He sighed.

"Nevertheless, y'put yerself in lots of trouble by enterin' de Assassins territory."

"We didn't know…"

"It doesn't matter to dem." His eyes were angry, but Jade had a feeling the anger wasn't directed to her. His eyes stared into hers, and he took a step forward. "But ye're here in a house of friends. And de Thieves Guild'll give you protection for as long as ye'stay here." Jade swallowed hard.

"Thank yah. But we'll leave New Orleans as soon as Raven's alright."

"Den I'll make sure Mattie keeps her in bed." She snapped her head up to meet his smile. "Ye can stay here for as long as y'want. You don't come from here, don'ye?"

"No, we're from New York." He laughed and winked at her.

"I didn't know New Yorkers had a southern accent." She laughed lightly, and looked at her hands. How could that guy make her feel like a teenager with her first love?

"Raven's a pure New Yorker. New Orleans is an adventure for her… Ah come from Mississippi."

"So New Orleans' boring fo'you?" She laughed, for real this time, her smile lighting her eyes. He moved closer to her, but she didn't notice.

"Ah though so at the beginning, but this turns out to be the most exciting vacation Ah ever had!" Her laugh faded as she realized he was standing right in front of her. She was sitting on the bed, but the mattresses were so high she was almost as tall as she was when she stood up. She looked up and her breath caught in her throat when she saw his eyes.

He was a handsome man, but the red on black eyes had to be the most startling feature in his face, and the held a lot of emotions. Which at the moment were quite easy to understand.

"Exciting?" he repeated in a low voice, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"Maybe it's a weak word" she said, her voice shaking. She wanted him to lean down and take her mouth like he did in the bar last night, she wanted to feel the heat of his body against hers again, her whole body yearned for it. He did lean closer to her, putting his hands on the bed both sides of her to keep his balance, and she smelled the cigarette and cologne again, but his mouth stopped inches from hers. "Remy?" she asked.

"Such a shame."

"What?" she asked, disbelieving. His hand reached up, and he cupped her face.

"Such beautiful eyes'n face, floatin' in m'mind all day long, and no name to put'n it." She laughed nervously, relieved, and gave him her best smile.

"Mah name's Jade." He stared at her face for a moment, and his eyes looked deep into hers.

"Jade" he repeated, his voice suddently soft. "I have so much on m'mind, and yet I can't stop thinkin' about last night." His face moved a fraction of an inch closer, and she nearly sighed with impatience. She opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off by his mouth on hers. She closed her eyes as the waves of sensations came back, shaking her body, and her hands reached up to grab the collar of his coat, clinging onto it like a lifesaver, trying to keep her head out of the water. He gently pushed her back so she would lie on the soft quilt, and his arms circled around her waist, pressing her against his body. His mouth was eager, his tongue dancing with hers, and she never thought she could feel so much only in a kiss. She let go of the coat and her hands ran up, caressing his rough cheeks and running through the thick auburn hair, cupping the back of his head to press his mouth on hers, and deepen the kiss that was already making her dizzy. He turned on his back, lifting her to lay over him, and his hands let go of her waist to gently run through her thick mane of reddish brown hair, letting it fall around their heads like a veil. He cupped her face and broke away from the kiss, dropping soft kisses on her lips and on the tip of her nose as both of them made their best to get their breath back, gasping, and slow their heart down to a more normal beat. He sighed deeply, his lips lingering on hers, and she opened her eyes to notice his were still closed.

"How can y'do dis to me?" he spoke against her lips. "Never, never I felt I was loosin' control on m'self like dat." She chuckled, bringing her lips down on his mouth one more time, and he opened his eyes.

"Ah could ask yah tha same thing, sugah. Ah don't think Ah can stop that." He smiled.

"And I don't think I want to." His lips parted again for another kiss, and she leaned down, but a loud knock on the door made her freeze in mid-action. Remy sighed, and his hands dropped to his sides on the quilt.

"Monsieur LeBeau?" said a muffled feminine voice on the other side of the thick door.

"Oui, madame Ginette?" he asked in a loud voice, deliberately sounding annoyed. Jade smiled against his lips, and slowly slid down to her feet.

"Madame Mattie says de girl is awakened, and wishes to talk t'her friend." Remy sat up and rubbed a hand on his face. He looked at Jade, and smiled.

"We're comin'." 

**To be continued!**


	6. Six

***sobs* Okay, since when does my penname end with a 2? It was a good penname, but now it sucks! Hell, it looks like a hotmail email adress now, and _I can't change my settings… I'm angry now! I'm on strike! No updates until my penname returns to normal, or at least to something that looks nice! I'm so angry they've changed it! Without telling me!!!! *sighs* Priority to older members? And what if that member hasn't published for months? *sobs again* I've archived _****81,945 words in three months… *wipes a tear* And now I have to find another name?******

**Yumiko : Glad you love it. Not a lot of fluff in this one, I'm afraid, I have a plot I have to take care of…**

**ishandahalf : Of course Ginette had to interrupt. Or I would have had to change the rating…*giggle* Okay, _that_ is too far, too soon, but hell, you never know with love at first sight! And will Jade leave when Raven is better? *thinks*. Mmmm. I've never written a sad ending before, except for Pointblank, and it isn't my intention, _but… The power of plot is too strong… Aaaaaaaah! Must… fight… power… in my brain… Must… write… fluff… *bangs her head on the wall* Help!_**

**x0MzJeNNa0x**** : Yay, a patient reader! Now, _that's rare! I've got death threats before, but a reader that patiently awaites? That's new!_**

**Carla : That's what I like about my Rogue here… No powers. Freedom to kiss, no angst, pure fluff. Yay.**

**KatLeBeau : Yeah, well, a plot entered my appartment and slid in my story… A fight between the Guilds? *pulls out a notepad* Not a bad idea… I'll have to add a few chapters but… adding chapters is my hobby. *grin***

**Panther Nesmith : I'm glad you liked the chapter… Sorry about Henri dying, the reviews are actually beginning to make me feel guilty about it… The title means "Let the good times roll", and no, I haven't explained it yet. I forgot…**

**Enjoy!**

_Chapitre six_

She slowly opened the door, and popped her head in.

"Jade!"

"Raven! Ah'm so glad that yah're okay, gal…" She carefuly put her arms around her friends waist, and hugged her gently. "Ah was afraid yah were badly hurt."

"Bah!" She dismissed the matter with one hand. "I just need some rest, I guess. My shoulder hurts like hell, but the woman gave me a drink or something to ease the pain. Should I drink it?" Jade stole a look at the mug sitting on the night table, but a voice spoke before she could make any conclusion about the hot brown beverage.

"Willow back infusion. It _does_ ease de pain, girl. Y'should drink it." Raven's jaw dropped and stayed that way as she looked up at the man who had just talked, and Jade, annoyed, repressed the urge to push it back closed.

"Raven, this is Remy LeBeau." She blushed slightly, hearing the way she pronounced it. She was far from the neat French Remy pronounced* and she knew she probably even got the "Remy" wrong. Raven unglued her eyes from Remy to look at her, but the jaw stayed down, and an expression of fear flickered in her eyes. So she _did_ remember the conversation the people were having at the bed and breakfast that morning.

"I'll leave you two to talk." Remy bowed slightly and headed for the door. Jade's eyes followed him out, and she turned to Raven stunned face when the door closed.

"LeBeau?" Raven said, and she sounded much better to Jade's eyes. She blushed again. "As in the Thieves?"

"Yeah, but…"

"We escape from a certain death by the Assassins, to fall in the hands of Thieves?" Her voice was getting high pitched by the moment, and Jade sighed loudly.

"Raven, tha Thieves are helping us."

"Yeah, sure, by making sure the Assassins will wanna kill us!"

"They already do, Raven. That tha Thieves wanna help us don't change a thing… Relax. Yah haven't seen tha house, and if they get in here by sheer miracle, there's a lot of persons here they'll kill before us." Raven inhaled strongly, and looked like she was asking herself if she should cry or laugh. She laughed.

"Now that was straight! _Now I'm reassured!" She winced when her shoulder moved, and sat straighter in the bed. The laugh faded to a devilish grin, and caramel eyes looked directly into green. "And that's Remy LeBeau? Brand new leader of the Thieves Guild of New Orleans?" Jade chuckled._

"It _does_ sound highly important tha way yah say it…"

"It _is_ here, girl. But we were talking about the guy… What a man! I mean… wow!" Jade's eyes flickered to the door, and she wondered for a moment if Remy was still behind the door, listening? 'But he probably would laugh' she thought, and turned back to Raven.

"Yah remember tha guy Ah kissed last night?" Raven's hawk eyes turned round as pennies, and her mouth dropped open again.

"You kissed _him_? Wow!"

"Shh, not so loud, Rav."

"I mean, wow. Did you kiss him again here?"

"Yes. Now don't talk so loud, Rav, he could hear us…" But Raven squealed with delight.

"Told you these Cajuns were irresistable! Jade, you got yourself a man! Finaly!"

~~

It wasn't until a few hours later that Jade left an exhausted Raven's room, but the sky was already dark, and the remains of dinner downstairs sent spicy smells all the way up the stairs and into Jade's nose. She was hungry like a wolf, and relied on her sense of smell to find the staircase.

"_C'est la poulette grise, qui a pondu dans l'église…_"

Jade stopped in her tracks, and turned on her heels. It was a man singing softly, and Jade wouldn't have heard it if there had been any other sound in the corridor. But there wasn't, and she was drawn towards a closed door, from which the lullaby came muffled through the thick wood.

"…_un tout petit coco, pour Marguerite qui va faire dodo…_"

The door wasn't closed after all; it was cracked open. The soft, low voice came in surprisingly neat notes, and she couldn't help a smile. She wished she knew what it meant, but it sounded cute. A light child's giggle came from the room inside, and the male voice chuckled before resuming its song.

"_C'est la poulette noire, qui a pondu dans l'armoire, un tout petit coco, pour Marguerite qui va faire dodo._"

She couldn't help it, and she looked into the crack. The children bedroom was decorated in shades of soft yellow, there were plushed animals sitting everywhere in the room and the only light came from the lamp on the night table. Remy had changed, switching his trench coat to light blue jeans and t-shirt, and was sitting on the little bed, kissing a small girl on the forehead as her eyes fought not to close.

"Mais je ne veux pas dormir…"

"Tu dors debout, Margot… Bonne nuit, chère."**

Jade walked away from the door, and finaly found the stairs. But she wasn't hungry anymore, and she walked straight towards the back door and at the far end of the outside terrasse. She sat on the hamock, and stared at the stars. A kid? Surely he wasn't married, or he wouldn't have brought her here, nor would he have been getting so comfortable with her in her room. She blushed, thinking about the way he had kissed her. No, no wife here.

But the girl couldn't have been more than three years old, so where was her mother? An wicked voice in her head reminded her that she was here in the Thieves Guild, and that anyone could die. Could the child's mother have been killed by the Assassins? And now Remy's brother, and father?

The sound of the door closing stopped her in her thoughts, and she turned without a sound to meet the visitor. Remy silently walked to the other end of the terrasse and sat at one of the patio chairs, not acknowledging her presence. He pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his back pocket and lit one, the tip glowing as he pulled in some smoke in his lungs, and fading out as he puffed it out. Then he dropped his head into his hands, and she felt she wasn't at the right place anymore.

**To be continued!**

* Beau is kinda pronounced like Poe, but with a B (duh). But you all probably already knew that… though they really got it wrong in the original cartoons (oh, Remy's French is sooooo bad in the series).

** "But I don't wanna sleep…"

"You're _already_ sleeping, Margot… Good night, dear."


	7. Sept

**Here I am again! Though please get used to the idea that the updates might not be so quick after August… Studying and working at the same time already takes a lot of energy, not to mention writing!**

**Acadian Angel : Oh, I knew everyone would block on the idea of Remy being a father… That would mean there's a mother somewhere…**

**Yumiko : Lucky, indeed. The x's will do for a time, but I'll probably change my pen name *sigh*. Like I have the choice…**

**nessie6 : 'Sixteen Years'? *Slaps her forehead*  Darn, I forgot about that one! I better get going on it, because my last semester's coming as fast as a running horse (2 weeks!), and it will be hell, being the last semester before my final training course as a teacher, and I franckly don't know if I'll have a lot of time to write before Xmas…*tear* Hum, I better go on writing, though. I have two stories to end before the next two weeks!**

**MzJenna : Goodness to come indeed, but I HAD to put in some angst or something (it seems I cannot write a single happy story. I can't help it, it looks like my characters always have to suffer…), so tears to come. No one will die, though, I promise!**

**Panther Nesmith : I'm glad you love it. Reviews are always welcome, but I would be a fool to prefer the negative one (though due to some miracle of some sort, I never got a flame. But I can't bring myself to think that everyone loves each one of my stories? No way. They just don't review…). So you're not going to say you're mad that Henri died? *sigh* I wish I hadn't done that. But well, it is written and posted now, so I can't very well change it… can't I?**

**ishandahalf : NON!!! You're LEAVING? And how am I to live without your reviews and awards and fun and stuff? You're the one who made me write this thing, and now you just leave? Deserter! Traitor! *tear* Gosh, your reviews have to be the longest and funniest of all. I check my email everyday when I post a new chapter, first because I can't wait to read my reviews, and second because I can't wait to read yours. I feel like it's a conversation of some sort, and I'll miss you. *hug*. But wait! You're coming in Québec? Hey, just drop by the Eastern Townships, and I'll let you read all the fiction you want on my computer! It should help with the withdrawal… As for your comments on the chapter, I have to say that I made Raven's character what she is so that it would hide the fact that Jade is not so… Rogue, I guess. Raven talks a lot and is not afraid of saying what she thinks to whoever is whitting ears reach, and Jade well… she has some reasons to act the way she does with Remy (you'll see at the end of the chapter), very good reasons in my POV. And, well… Oh, I just like her, that's all. And it was fun to see her drool over Remy. _Anybody_ would drool over Remy. It's universal. And sorry about scaring you about the kid… There is no wife around, if that can reassure you. The only real obstacle to Remy and Jade's relation here is… Jade herself?**

**Enjoy!**

_Chapitre sept_

A man rarely lets out his emotions to show. And that man had, without any warning whatsoever, been proclaimed the head of the famous Guild of Thieves of New Orleans, in the middle of a war between them and the Assassins. From one day a normal man, a thieve between others, he was now the leader of dozens in search of vengeance for the kill of their former leader. And with that kind of pressure, the bearing of the loss of his two most precious friends, his father and brother, and no one to talk about it, no one with whom he had the kind of relation he had with Henri or Jean-Luc. Yes, Remy LeBeau must have had lots on his heart, and lots to hide from other men that were lingering in the mansion now and then. And he probably was thinking he was finaly getting the privacy he couldn't get inside the house. She couldn't steal that. She stood up and cleared her throath.

"Ah thought it would be better if yah know Ah was there. Yah look like yah need yah're privacy, sugah. Ah'll go inside."

He didn't move. His head was still bent, leaning in his hands, and the abandonned cigarette was slowly consuming itself between his fingers, bit of ashes sometimes falling from the glowing tip. It reminded her of the look of his eyes, and she walked towards the door.

"Stay, _s'il-te-plaît." She turned and looked at him. He was still sitting in the same position, but he pulled back his head and stared at the stars above, like she had a few moments ago. Then he turned his face at her, and gave her a small smile. "Sit with me, Jade." She smiled back and pulled back a chair._

"Yah look like yah have a lot on yahr conscience, sugah." The smile faded, and he looked back up at the dark sky.

"Let's just say I'm an irresponsible man, with de hell of a lot of responsibilities all of a sudden."

"Ah'm sure yah can take it. From what Ah heard in the conversations, yah were trained by the best."

"De best of all. _La crème des voleurs_" he confirmed, barely whispering. Obviously he felt the need to change the subject, for he looked her straight in the eye. "Was it you I heard in de corridor minutes ago? Outside Marguerite's room?" Jade blushed.

"Ah heard yah sing, Ah wanted to know what… who it was… Nice lullaby. What does it mean?" Remy smiled.

"A ridiculous song about colored hens layin' eggs in different places, so dat de child can go to sleep. Tante Mattie sang dat song to me when I was young."

"She looks like a sweet child." Remy laughed softly.

"Yeah, she _looks like'one." Jade swallowed._

"What… what happened to her mother?" Remy frowned and narrowed his eyes at her.

"Her mother? Mercy?" Jade stopped breathing. Mercy?

"Mercy?" she just repeated, staring at him. But he looked as dumbfounded as her.

"Well, yeah, Marguerite's mother, dat's what y'asked?"

"Mercy is yah're daughter's mother?" His eyes went round, and he smiled as comprehension dawned on him. He started to laugh, his fingers running through his dark untied hair, and layed back in the patio chair.

"Marguerite isn't m'daughter, _chère_… She's my niece, she's Henri and Mercy's fille. Though with Henri gone… I feel like I have a responsibility with her. I'm a little more dan an _oncle, now." Her brows shot up, and her mouth opened in a small, surprised 'o'._

"Oh." He looked at her with a growing smile on his lips, but he saw she felt uneasy.

"How's y'friend?"

"Oh, Raven's fine. That woman… Mattie? She said she would be fine to go before Friday." The smile faded from his face.

"Dat's de day after tomorrow…"

"Yeah, well we have to go to work on next Monday. We normal people have an honest day job, yah know." He looked down at his slender hands, but not before she noticed a small tugging at the corner of his lips.

"Dat's low, _chère_."

"Ah know… Ah'm sorry. Ah'm really grateful for what yah're all doing for Raven and me." He shook his head. 

"It's a normal thing for Thieves to help dose who need it. Jean-Luc did de same for me, takin' me away from de streets." She looked at him, surprised.

"Yah're not Jean-Luc natural son?"

"Non. I lived in de streets, and Jean-Luc quite saved m'life. Like de Thieves did to you'n Raven dis mornin'. De only difference is…" he paused, a grin on his lips as he looked her in the eyes.

"Is what?"

"I stayed." She bit her lip, but didn't look away from his eyes. He leaned forward, his elbows on his knees, not even blinking. "I've known lots'o women, _chère. But none of'em made me feel de way I do, when I look at you." She swallowed the lump forming in her throath, but it didn't move._

"Remy…" His hands lifted and settled on the arm rests of her chair, emprisonning her between his arms, and his face inches from hers. She felt her breath run short, and fought not to close her eyes like her body was telling her. "Remy, this is crazy."

"Oh, oui, it is. Dat a woman I don' know comes in m'life like a dog in a bowlin' alley, and steal m'heart like I steal other's goods." She sighed involuntarily, staring in his eyes. "Who are'y, Jade? How can'y make my heart flutter like a teenager's, and make me tell m'heart like I never did with anyone?" This was more than she was prepared to hear, and she brought her hand up to his lips, shushing him.

"Please, Remy. This is insane…" she whispered, more to convince herself than him. He smiled behind her fingers and kissed them, sending small electric sparks all the way down her arm, and a deep shiver ran down her spine. He didn't stop, though, and planted small kisses all the way up her arm, leaving his chair to kneel down in front of her. She felt her whole body turn into water as his lips brushed against the soft skin in her neck, and the heat of his breath in her ear was enough for her to close her eyes, the stars leaving the sky to blind her behind her eyelids. She brought her arms around his neck, and kissed him. She fell on her knees as well, and after a few moments of surprise, he took her in his embrace and kissed her back.

Her mind was racing. She was on the floor on a terrasse, kissing a man with all her might, a man she had met… the night before?

Her conscience was yelling in her head, screaming her to stop this madness. This was going too fast, they were going to make a huge mistake…

But a mistake was just what she wanted. What she yearned for. What her body had wanted for months. Years, since she had been with a man, since she had touched the skin of one. Remy's skin was hot under her hands, burning as hers was. He was yearning for it as much as her, but…

She put her hands on his chest, and pushed him away as she had done at the bar, with as much force she could put into the push. It wasn't a lot, but it was enough for the kiss to break, and for the two of them to take in some large gulps of air, filling their lungs. It seems he had been thinking the same things, for he asked, his lips brushing against hers, "What d'we do now, _chère?"_

Sense seeped back into her brain, and she shook her head. "Nothing, Remy." He said nothing, but kissed her forehead with a sigh. She dearly wished she could see his eyes, but they were hidden from view, his true emotions unreadable. Tears welled up to her eyes and she turned her face away from his look. Getting up, she freeded herself from his arms, and walked towards the door, feeling the burning of his stare in her back.

She fought back the tears but, as much as she wanted to, she knew she couldn't bring herself to go back in Remy's arms. In any man's arms.

A sob shook her chest as she closed the door to her room, locking it. The tears in her eyes blurred everything in the dim lit bedroom, and she ran to the bed, holding tight onto a pillow.

Would the past ever leave her alone?

**To be continued!**

**Ho oh! What's that? Another plot twist? Damn… *bangs her head on the wall* Get out of my head, you… you plot!**


	8. Huit

**FLUFF! There! I did it! The plot almost got control of the chapter for the first few paragraphs, but I grabbed him by the shoulders and threw him in the wall, and I sat in front of my laptop, writing pure fluff for you all! Rated R fluff! (maybe it's exagerated, but I really didn't want to take chances). And it's probably the longest chapter I've written since I started posting up on FF.N. I thought what the plot wrote was good though, and I sincerely thought he had a good idea on the way, so I left it there. Don't mind it, though, the plot's a little crazy sometimes (or am I?).**

**MzJenna : The plot thickens, yeah… More like his head, I'd say. I really have to get rid of him, at least for that story… put that "plot-nergy" in my two other fics, so I could have some ideas…**

**nessie6 : Okay, so I won't be able to finish both stories. This one is coming to an end soon, though (but I say this often enough to know it's often not true…), and I sincerely hope the beginning of the semester won't be too hard on my poor head… so I can write!**

**ishandahalf : Now, I can't wait to see the review I'm gonna get for that chapter… Notice the change in the rating? Hope you had fun despite the presence of your family during your vacation, and that you saw some cute Acadians out there in New-Brunswick… And I was waiting for you to write… It's just too depressing no seeing your name in my review list. Okay, maybe it was a little because my mother and brother were here, and I barely see them 3 or 4 times a year, them having moved more than 1000 kilometers away, and I miss them… *tear* snif. But they're gone back in ****Ontario**** now, so I'm back on my computer!**

**KatLeBeau : Yay! Well, I finaly managed to put the plot aside (most of the time) in that chapter, so this is (almost) plot-free, and 95% fluff. Have fun.**

**Panther Nesmith : I'm still trying to figure out what the beginning of the review means, but I liked the end of it. Glad you like it!**

**Yumiko : I don't think this can be considered as "fast" update, but considering I'm writing three fics at a time *bangs her head on the wall*, then I guess it's pretty good!**

**xXrogue_demonXx : Phiew! You're the second one to tell me that you like my fic even if it's A/U… But I have a question : since you don't dig A/U and it's written in the summary, what led you to read it? I'm just curious!**

**Equinox : LOL! Okay, that's a French expression (comme un chien dans un jeu de quilles) I litteraly traducted in English, and I guess it hasn't worked well… It simply means that you're the wrong person at the wrong place at the wrong time. Like a dog in a bowling game.**

**MysticSorceror : Thanks! Nice penname!**

**crazytook : *blinks stupidly at her computer screen* I hate fluff? Now, my friend, you are going to have to quote the line where I said that, because I don't remember saying it… I love fluff, friend! It's just that the plot keeps burrying it under piles of obstacles, and ennemies, and stuff… I'm not in control anymore!!!!!**

**Warmer Than Fire : Oh well, I'm just glad you're back! And it's a good thing you're having fun with the sun. You have a beautiful tan, by the way. *grin***

**charisma5 : Somehow I didn't get your review by email, but I saw it on FF.N, so everything's fine! For the name, I'm sorry for your five… I only got a 2, but the other fleurdelys haven't posted anything since last december, and they won't let me have my name back. Oh, and I'm glad you like the story, but you will have to have some patience, because I'm writing three fics at the time. I've turned crazy, I know, I know… I knew I was going to get a death threath somewhere!**

**Lizz10 : Well, here's the fluff! Finaly!**

**ladychopsticks : hehe, here's more!**

**Solitaire3 : Glad you love it!**

**Enjoy!**

_Chapitre huit_

(The night before)

He knew he was dead. He had to be. Everyone was.

He vaguely remembered Émile's cell phone ringing during the meeting. And Émile yelling, telling everyone to get out.

Then everything exploded, blowing the place into burnt ashes. He was dead.

He was dissapointed, he had always thought death was a peaceful state. Now his nose was throbbing painfully, and he knew his left leg was broken. His skull hurt where he had bumped it, jumping out of the window, and the loud wheezing sound coming from his nose, along with the white pain shooting through his chest with each breath suggested that many of his ribs were broken.

Breath?

Wasn't he dead?

Deep blue, blood shot eyes opened suddently, and he moaned as he saw his surroundings. Everything seemed to be burning around him, and the flames came out of the broken window he had jumped through, eating away the wooden frame and walls. He was laying two stories down, laying without moving in a pile of garbage. It smelled bad, but even the smell of women's French perfume would have hurt his bleeding nose right now. He tried to move, to get on his feet, but his head began to turn, and spots twirled in front of his eyes. He fell back on hands and knees on the ground, squinting his eyes shut. He couldn't, mustn't faint…

He heard panicked voices near him, and he recognized one. Émile. He opened his mouth to call for him, and raised his head. But a strong nausea caught in his throath, and he fainted, the world turning again, his eyes closing and his body falling back on the ground.

~~

She still dreamed about it.

Her parents had died when she was only five years old, in a car accident she had witnessed with her own eyes from the front lawn of her house. She began being a problem for whoever was taking care of her, she doesn't remember who, and was put into an orphanage for her own good, they said. Many years went by before a nice woman came to the orphanage, and picked the 14 years old girl to bring her into her family. A very, very nice family. With a very, very, very nice dad, called Richard.

She always though she would make love for the first time in her life on her wedding night. It was what they said at church and at the orphanage, and she thought it was a neat idea. Richard was going to break her dream, though. When Jade was 15, he lost his job, and slowly sank into alcoholism. Almost each night, he would come home drunk, and would beat his wife half-dead before switching to her. He usualy got tired before her body hit the floor, though, and she usualy could get out of the beating with some sore spots and ribs.

But as her body changed, and she became a woman, he got tired of the beating. Coming home, he would walk straight to her room. She could still taste the reeling smell of beer on the callused hand on her mouth, keeping her silent while he rumaged through the bed sheets with his other hand. One day, she got tired of it, and ran away, knocking on Raven's appartment door, and not coming out of it for weeks. Even today, she still lived with her friend.

She swore to herself she would keep her body for the right man. But now, with Remy, it felt… right. Was he the right man she had been waiting for ten years?

She sobbed in her pillow again. And if he was? Her memory of sex was acid, and she admited to herself that she was afraid of what it could feel like. Here, alone in the guestroom, she felt like it. She wanted to get up again, and head straight to his room where she knew she would be welcome. But once in his arms, she knew she would go stiff again, as the dread of what would be to come made her push him away, pull away from his warm embrace with the fear of being badly hurt again.

Another sob shook her chest. It would never leave her alone.

~~

Strange how humans are the only animals to burry their deads. Also strange that they insist on burrying empty coffins, when the bodies couldn't be found in the smoking vestiges of the house where the meeting took place.

She sighed, and Raven looked at her from the corner of her eye. Jade knew Raven had guessed her feelings toward their host, but she still said nothing, knowing her friend's attitude. And she would say nothing until the day Jade regrets and cries in Raven's arms, like it had happened so many times before. Since the day Jade had broken up with men in general, Raven had been there, trying to steer her back towards the male species. Who could be a better man-specialist than her? It haven't worked yet, but Jade knew Raven was a fighter, and wouldn't give up. But today, the brunette kept her mouth shut, probably because of the atmosphere in general.

It was a rainy day, like most funeral days, and Jade watched as at least two hundred men and women walked away from the Thieves Cemetery, near the LeBeau mansion. She turned around, looking for Remy, and found him a few yards away, shaking hands with some stranger, and accepting condolences from another. The head of the Guild of Thieves finaly broke free, and walked towards a bunch of trees. Jade took in a deep breath, and followed him. He leaned on a tree, and she stopped a few feet away. She stayed silent, but her guess was that he knew she was there.

"It feels like makin' dis official." She swallowed and walked the few steps separating her from him. He sighed, and his back rubbed against the bark as he sat in the grass. After a moment's hesitation, she sat down next to him.

"What's official?"

"Dat I'm alone. And scared lik' hell." His hand played unconsciously with strands of grass, and she hesitated, her hand hovering over his. She finaly sighed, and put her hand on his. He didn't move.

"Yah're not alone, Remy. Yah've got Mercy, and yahr friends…"

"And you?" His eyes lifted to meet hers, and she felt her eyes moisten to see so much hope in his eyes. He wanted her to stay, she could tell that. But still…

"Ah don't count, Ah'm leaving tomorrow morning. Six o'clock." She was surprised herself by the cold sound of her voice, and resisted the urge to look away. His eyes clouded, and the hope dissapeared from the red depths.

"But I don' want'y t'leave." He turned a little more to face her, his eyes connected with hers. She felt glued to them and swallowed nervously. "I want'y t'stay a bit longer with me, Jade." She knew her name was written the same in French and English, but the way it sounded in Remy's language, with Remy's voice, coming out of Remy's mouth… It felt sweet as honey to her ears, and she shivered with pleasure at the sound. He saw it, and smiled. "Why do I feel like I know'y for a long time? D'ye feel it too?" She opened her mouth to say 'no', but her head bobbed up and down without her being able to stop it. His hand reached up and cupped her face. She closed her eyes, expecting his lips on hers. After a few seconds of nothing, she cracked her eyes open, to see his eyes an inch from hers. "Say you'll stay, Jade." She closed her eyes again, and kissed him. He put his hands on her shoulders, gently trying to push her away, but she circled his neck with her arms and kissed him harder. He uttered a deep sigh and his hands stopped pushing to slide down to her waist, pulling her near, and she felt a guilty feeling gripping her guts, for once drowning the warmth his embrace lit in her stomach. Suddently, he broke free of the kiss and held on to her arms. He looked at her face, then shook his head, licking his lips as if he wanted to erase the kiss, or taste it again.

"Can't y'answer me?" Jade looked down at her hands in her lap. She closed her eyes, and sadly shook her head. The warmth of his hands on her arms was replaced with cool air as he let her go, and she looked away as he got up and walked away, his head bent down and his hands in his pockets.

~~

Her hand hovered over the pearl white wooden door, before balling into a fist. She couldn't be doing this, couldn't she? She felt stupidly indecent in her white nightshift, a cream satin thing that covered her shoulders, and went down to her knees. But she took a deep breath, and her fist pulled back a few inches. Then, after a moment's hesitation, it came forward, gently knocking on the door three times. It sounded too loud to her ears, and she quickly withdrew her hand from the door, clapsing her hands together between her breasts. But not a sound came from the room inside, and she sighed.

She turned to leave when she heard the sound of someone walking behind the door, and she turned back to the door in time to see Remy leaning in the doorframe, eyeing her with a blank face. He looked like he was going to frown at her, but instead one of his eyebrows lifted in an interrogative way. "In what honor am I gettin' your visit?" he asked. He tilted his head, looking behind her, and the ticking sound on the wall told her he had just looked at the clock hooked up on the wall in the corridor. "At 2 in de mornin'?"

"It's not 2 yet, Ah know it's only 20 past 1." He smiled, and her arms came around her chest as she hugged herself. "Besides, Ah know yah haven't been in bed for more than half an hour, sugah. At what temperature do yah set the air conditionner in here? Ah'm cold." His smile widen, his white teeth showing, and he opened the door wider.

"Well, it's hoter in de bedroom, _chère_. Why don' you come in?" She froze on her feet, staring at him, and he chuckled when he saw she wouldn't move. "Well, den, do you mind explainin' t'me why you're up in de middle o'de night? Not dat I mind, but…"

"Ah couldn't sleep" she interrupted.

"Havin' wicked dreams, _chère_?"

"Ah needed to see yah." He opened his mouth to reply, but closed it. He took a step back, gesturing to her to come in, and she walked in. She heard the door close, and looked around, feeding her eyes with the beautiful antique furniture that garnished the bedroom. A gigantic maplewood bed covered with deep blue blankets layed in the middle of the room, and she took a deep breath with the hope of slowing down the beating of her heart. She looked back at Remy, silently standing behind her, and it occurred to her that he wasn't wearing a lot, aside some black boxer shorts and a blue T-shirt that didn't leave a lot to her imagination. His hair was untied, deep auburn locks brushing his shoulders, and a shorter lock falling across his face. The efforts to slow down her heartbeats became futile, and she felt blood rushing at incredible speed in her body, flushing her face. She flushed even more when she noticed he had come to the same conclusions about her night dress, and his eyes travelled from her head to her feet and back to her face in an appreciative look. Her eyes locked with his, and her breathing stopped, her heart out of control.

"You wanted t'talk t'me, Jade?" His voice was a tad lower and hoarser, and she shivered with pleasure at the sound of it. She walked to him, and put a light hand on his chest. She felt a twinge of satisfaction when she felt his heart, beating as loudly as hers in his rib cage. He saw it in her eyes, and the corners of his mouth turned up. She smiled too, wondering where the hell was this side of her coming from.

"Ah never said Ah wanted to talk, sugah." The smile faded from his face and she felt him tense up.

"What do y'want, den?" He wasn't smiling, but the fun he was having at the very moment was clear as water in his voice.

Her hands went up to his face his answer, and she felt the growing beard under her fingers. She gently caressed his cheeks and her fingers slided behind his neck, pulling him down to her face. He bent down at her demand and kissed her fiercely, his arms circling her and squeezing her against his chest. She held on tight as well, her arms around his neck, standing on tip-toe, and his hands went on her buttocks, lifting her so her face was at his level. Her legs came around his waist, her ankles crossing behing his thighs.

She felt dizzy with desire and blood rushed behind her eyelids. She was surprised when she felt her body fall in an horizontal position and the softness of the mattress in her back, though, and her breath came short. She tried to fight the fear, but the cold feeling of panic seeped back in her spine. She panicked, breaking free of the kiss, and pushed back Remy, crawling rapidly back on the bed. She caught back her breath, avoiding his eyes. She finaly looked up at him to see him standing near the bed, leaning on his arms on the mattress, and looking at her with angry eyes. He straighten up and glared at her.

"Are'y playin' with me, Jade?" His voice came out cold, and tears stung her eyes. She slightly shook her head.

"No" she whispered. "Ah'm afraid." He didn't answer, and she looked up. His face had softened to her words, and he sat down on the bed.

"Afraid of what, _chère_?" She blushed like a teenager.

"Afraid it will hurt." He was mouth-agape again, but controled himself and closed it back.

"You've never slept with a man before, _chère_?"

"Yeah, Ah did… but… It hurt. A lot." He frowned, and she saw his eyes glow an eerie red in the dimly lit bedroom as realization dawned on him. She looked down at her hands, and spoke as fast as she could. "Ah wanna do it, Remy. Ah really do. And Ah trust yah don't wanna hurt me, but… Ah'm scared." She heard the shifting of the blankets as he moved closer to her on the bed. He layed on his back, and opened his arms. 

"You've just said de magic words, _chère_."

"What words?"

"Trust me." She smiled shyly. "It won't hurt, Jade. I promise." She nodded, and took a deep breath before laying down next to him. He hugged her, and bent down to kiss her, more gently this time. His hand travelled on her body, softly cupping her breasts, raising gooseflesh on her arms. His mouth moved away from hers, dropping slow, light kisses around her ear, on her temple, in her neck. His hands still worked their way on her body, coming up her legs and lifting her night dress. She lifted her arms above her head so he could take it off her body, and she fought back another feeling of panic as she felt cool air on her naked body. She had been sincere. She trusted him. He let out a shaking sigh, and she looked up at him.

"What's wrong?" She suddently felt shy, and pushed away the urge of  pulling the blankets over her body. He looked at her face, his features soft, eyes full of desire.

"Jade… You're de most beautiful _femme_ I've ever seen." She chuckled.

"Glad yah like it." He smiled dreamily and bent down to kiss her again. He tasted good, and she asked herself if she could ever have enough of these kisses. The feeling of panic slowly withdrew, replaced by a growing desire of the body she held in her arms. She let her fingers run on his skin, pulling the t-shirt up over his head. He threw it somewhere on the floor and bent back to her. His mouth came on the tip of her breasts and she inhaled sharply, the pinching sensation raising incredible sensations in her body, and she moaned when his hand went between her thighs.

A few moments passed by when she thought she had lost control on herself completely, and she barely noticed as he took off his boxers, putting on some necessary protection,  and kissed her again. She came to her senses when she felt him, and she froze. He saw the fear in her eyes, though, and held her chin, looking at her face.

"Look in my eyes, Jade." She blinked, but didn't look away. He waited for her to relax, and entered her, slowly.

She moaned. It didn't hurt, like she was afraid it would. It raised sensations she never thought she could feel before. Strong waves came crushing over her body, and she gripped at his shoulders like a lifesaver in stormy waters.

Her release came with his, and he crushed her against his chest, trembling and burrying his head in her neck. She turned her head and kissed his temple.

She had never felt so good.

~~

The sun in his face woke him up. He moaned, lifting an arm to protect his eyes, but froze when the memory of the night came to his mind. A wide smile on his face, he turned, happy to finaly have her face to look at in the morning sun. But the smile froze in his face, and he sat up.

The blankets were pushed away, and he could still see the hollow in the pillow where her head had been. But he was alone in the bed, and he turned to his alarm clock, a feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach. 

And he moaned, when he saw the alarm clock showed 7:30.

**To be continued!**

**Muahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!**

**Ain't that bad? Ain't I'M bad? Oh, I love making people suffer. Even the reviewers!**


	9. Neuf

**There it is, for real this time, chapter 9… I hope it didn't take too long :-P It came to my head that I don't write a disclaimer very often… Oh, well… *grin* BTW, do you know I'm totally hooked on reviews when I'm on vacation? I check every half an hour of so, maybe quarter and hour when I'm on my computer, to see if they're any review alert in my email… Oh, and the sadness, when they aren't any! Make me smile!**

**Yumiko : Well, yeah, she left… but that doesn't mean it's going to end bad… ishandahalf's gonna track me down and shoot me if I make thins thing end badly…**

**xXrogue_demonXx : *blinks at her computer screen* I'm still trying to figure out if this is a flame or not… Oh well, my pride is gonna take over, and say it's not… Just tell your 5 years old child inside that it's rated PG13 *grin*  And that it's not finished yet! I swear!**

**Ladychopsticks : Oh, I'm on alert? *blush* Woohoo! Yeah, I got problems while uploading chapter 8, like I explained, but here's chapter 9 for real. As for the cliffhanger… I'm a cliffhanger fan. You know why? Because a cliffhanger brings out a new side of the story, and you often need some time to figure out what's gonna happen next, and how you're gonna write it… It's a great way of buying some time… Now you go and read chapter 9, and tell me what you think about _that_ cliffhanger!**

**MzJenna : Lol, hot? Nooooo, not at all! Separate them? And get hunt down by ishandahalf? Nooooo wayyy!!**

**Nessie : I'm voluntarily forgetting the 6 here, since I'm guessing you don't like it a lot. I changed the rating, but the story dissapeared from the list (it being an automaticaly G-PG13 list) so I brought it down to PG13, thinking a warning in the summary is enough. There. I'm glad you like it though, it was making me a little nervous writing it. But I had too!**

**KatLeBeau : Well thank you. She can't leave? Are you sure? *lifts an eyebrow in inquiry* Really, really sure?**

**x-kitty-x : Oh, you like hanging? There you go! I have plenty of cliffhangers in my head, they just need to go out…**

**DarkMystery : *splashes water in her face on fire* Thanks! That's so sweet! *girlish giggle* Woohoo!!**

**Acadian Angel : You got me wrong… I know I haven't been really clear about it, but the explosion scene was a little flashback of the explosion that had Jean-Luc and Henri killed… or not. I did write "the night before" at the top, but I understand the time line may be a little complicated, I'm having trouble following it myself… day one, Jade and Raven in a bar, and chat at a café, day two, Jade gets robbed by Henri and meets Remy while the explosion takes place at the meeting, day three, Jade and Raven are attacked by Assassins and are taken under the Thieves' wing, day four, the funeral. Since day four hadn't occurred yet à the beginning of chapter 8, by "the night before" I meant day two… I hope it's clearer now. It's clearer to me! lol**

**The Name Changer : Yeah, it was mean, I know. But I a very very mean and cruel person, when it comes to my characters… **

**I'm sincerely sorry if you reviewed and I didn't answer you, but there seems to be a problem with the review alert thing, and I don't receive an alert for every review. I have to check up in the reviews list each time, sorry again.**

**Enjoy!**

_Chapitre neuf_

It was a beautiful day, a hot sun heating the already hot and humid air in New Orleans. But it had been raining everyday for two weeks for Remy LeBeau, and his increasingly bad temper and independent attitude was getting on everybody's nerves in the Guild. Nobody really knew why, though, so they just explained Remy's change of attitude with Henri and Jean-Luc's deaths, and the fact that the corpses had never been found. A few others who had been aware of the presence of feminine strangers a few weeks ago had another opinion on what had erased the smile on the face of the youngest LeBeau. But no matter what the reason for it was, life around Remy LeBeau was a living hell, and everyone tried to stay away from the grumpy young man, until he would come to his senses and finish this childish tantrum. Hard to do so when he's your boss, though. The only one who could get through the wall he had built was little Marguerite, who followed her uncle everywhere in the house without getting the killing red glare he would have given anyone else, even Mattie, Mercy and Émile.

Things had calmed down between the Guilds, and Remy was the reason for such a thing. He had refused taking vengeance on the Assassins, loosing some trust from some Thieves who had wanted war, and the war was put aside by both parties. But he didn't care. He knew who to trust in the Guild, and who not to. And those he trusted, trusted him in return. Besides, he wasn't very interested in being the head of Thieves. For weeks he had been pondering, and although he knew he couldn't leave, he wished things could return to normal. To when his father was leader, and Henri the heir to leadership. To when himself only was in the Concil, and still could have fun as a Thief, without any responsibilities stopping him from making mistakes, without the glare of the high heads of the Guild watching his every step.

To when he never knew the existence of the green-eyed gal. She haunted him. By night, with the memory of the night they had had together. By day, with the image of her slim figure, her waist, her breasts, her incredible clear green eyes framed with long dark lashes, and soft bright auburn hair falling down to her waist, with lighter, almost platinum bangs falling in her face sometimes. The way she put them aside by reflex. And the smile she would give him when their eyes would meet over diner, when she was not pushing him away again like she had did so many times.

He sighed deeply, and shifted in the iron patio chair he was sitting in. He prefered days when he would lead the Thieves, running everywhere and giving orders, reuniting the Concil and taking decisions, than days like this one when everyone was on break. Days off gave him time to think. And thinking hurt him.

It wasn't only that she had left, neither because she had left without saying goodbye. He was fairly sure she hadn't played with him. The fear he had seen in her eyes was as genuine as the pleasure she had when they made love, and he knew she probably ran away from him in fear of being hurt again. What hurt him most was to not understand the power she had on him. He had met lots of women in his life, and had dated with some of them a lot longer than he had with Jade. How long has he known her, four, five days? And still, two weeks later, he was sitting on the terrasse under the sun, closing his eyes while remembering his night with her.

Could it be love? He opened his eyes at the though, and shook his head to shoo the idea out of his head. He never loved. Well sure, he loved his family. He had loved his father and Henri, and he deeply cared for Mattie and Mercy, as he did for his best friends in the Guild. And he loved Marguerite, as the child he probably would never have, the way his life was heading. But a woman? Could you love someone after only five days of knowing her? 'Damn if I know' he though angrily, letting his head fall on the headrest of the chair, and closed his eyes again.

Something tugged at his short-sleeve and he opened his eyes, annoyed and ready to put on his day-long glare, but his face softened when he met chocolate brown eyes in a small round face, framed with dark brown curls escaping from the pig tails at the back of her head. "What is is, Marguerite?" She lifted her eyes full of undying curiosity to his face and pointed at the inside of the house through the patio door.

"You told me Papa's gone, non? But Papa's at de door." Remy frowned. Marguerite hadn't taken very well the dissapearance of her father, but this was the first time she invented his return.

"Marguerite, y'Papa can' be at de door, chil'. He ain't comin' back…" She stomped her small bare feet on the hard concrete floor without any other resulting sound than a small 'pif', and her face flushed. Remy swallowed back a chuckle.

"Papa's dere! I saw him in de window!" A woman appeared in the patio door, her hands clapsed and twisting over her stomach.

"Monsieur LeBeau?" 

"Oui, Ginette?" He lifted his eyes from Marguerite's watery ones, switching to the gruff voice he used with everyone except the little girl. The woman looked even more nervous at the sound of it, and looked like she wanted nothing more than dissapear from his view.

"Dere… Dere is a man sittin' on the stairs… on the porch… He didn't ring, but I thought…" Remy eyes narrowed at the middle-aged woman, and travelled slowly to Marguerite, standing next to him with her minuscule arms crossed angrily on her little chest. She was a funny sight, but something else gripped at Remy's stomach.

"I told you!" she yelled as Remy ran for the front door. He violently pushed the front door open, and felt a wave of frustration wash over him as he saw the empty porch in front of him. He sigh and moved to close the door, but a movement caught his eye.

Near the gate stood a bench Jean-Luc had installed for the sentinels of the front gate of the mansion. Sitting on it was one of them, of course, but he was in a deep conversation with another man. He was bent forward, his elbows on his knees, and Remy couldn't see his face. Next to him was a pair of crutches, and his blonde hair shone in the sun light. Remy closed the door and walked down the stairs, slowly walking towards the gate. The sentinel lifted his head and smiled at him, and the other man lifted his as well. Remy froze in his tracks, and the man straightened up.

"Henri?"

**Nah nah nah nah nahhhh nahhhhhhh!! To be continued!!!!**

**Sorry it's so short, but I still have to figure out the following… I'm a 100% percent on it, though! Hell, I haven't even ate since my bowl of cereals this morning, and it's 5 in the afternoon *stomach growl*. I'll eat, and I'm back to writing just after, okay? Yay for vacations!**


	10. Dix

**ATTENTION : If chapter 9 is still unaccessible (grrr) you can have access to it by adding a slash at the end of the URL. Thanks to The Name Changer for the hint…**

**Okay, it's short… *sigh* I know… The nest chapters will be switching between Remy and Jade, so please don't be confused… And yes, Jade is back in ****New York****. Yes, that happens to be miiiiiiiiiles away from ****New Orleans****. Please don't hurt me. Oh and I didn't proof read this… I wanted to post it asap to see if it fixed the bug with chapter 9…**

**The Name Changer : It seems you are the only one who had access to chapter 9… lucky one… Even I couldn't go check it out!**

**Panther Nesmith : I have to be careful in this comment, since you probably didn't read chapter 9 yet… But am I yanking your chain? Huh huh!!!**

**ishandahalf : sorry about chapter 9, maybe posting chapter 10 will fix this… And about your theory about Jean-Luc or Henri… *cough cough*  I can't really *cough* answer *cough cough* without telling away the story but… *cough* And YES, JADE _LEFT_ REMY!!! SUE ME! I knew you'd be mad! But it's too much fun, it makes your reviews even longer! *evil laugh* But wait! What's going on in this chapter!?!?! Let's go and see, shall we?? Muahahahahaha!!!**

**Enjoy!**

_Chapitre 10_

She dropped to her knees and opened the maplewood door, and mumbled to herself while fumbling in the cupboard. She finaly found a suitable frying pan, and straightened up, bumping the back of her head on the counter in the process.

"Shit!" She dropped the frying pan on the counter and clutched her head with both hands. Looking at her hand, she saw blood, and swore even more. Raven popped her head in the kitchen door, wet locks of hair hanging in her face.

"Everything's like you want it, Jade?" she said, smiling at Jade's glare. Jade turned to the sink and washed her hands, then picked up a towel and soaked it with cold water. Applying it to the sore spot behind her head, she looked at her roomate, and frowned.

"Yah're goin' out?" Raven blushed.

"Yeah, well… remember that guy we met in New Orleans?" Jade frowned, and Raven added hastily, seeing it. "His name's Bobby, we met him at the bar, the second night...*" she turned away, a large towel drapped around her body. Jade hastily looked away when she saw the small, round pink scar on her friend's shoulder blade.

"Oh, yeah, Ah remember, Ah think." Jade turned to the frying pan and took it with her free hand, the other one still holding the wet towel on the growing bump on her head.

"I met him in the subway yesterday morning! Isn't that incredible?" Raven's voice was coming from the bathroom now, and she was yelling over the sound of her hairdryer.

"Incredible" Jade whispered to herself. Another night alone. She put the pan on the oven, turned on the heat and turned to the fridge to get some butter.

"I'm sorry if you had something in mind for diner…" Raven was back in the kitchen door. Her hair wasn't entirely dried, the wet locks still standing on end on the left side, making her look like a speepish-eyed Cruela DeVil. Jade laughed.

"Ah had, but Ah don't mind. Got get ready for yah date, sugah. Yah don't wanna be late." Raven gave her a smile, and got back into the bathroom. Jade sighed and broke the eggs over the frying pan, the sizzling sound of melted butter covering the sound of the hairdryer. It would be a long night.

~~

She doesn't remember at which point in the boring movie she stopped watching it and dozzed in a light sleep, but she opened her eyes when she heard the front door opening.

"Raven?"

"Jade? You're still up?" She sounded very surprised, and Jade looked at the clock. Half past 3 in the morning.

"No, Ah fell asleep on the couch." She yawned and sat up on the couch, leaving some place for her friend. Raven came by and fell on the couch, opening her arms with a deep sigh. Jade looked at her warily. "Had a nice date?" Raven tilted her head and looked at her with dreamy eyes.

"A nice date? You've just asked me if it was nice?" She smiled and closed her eyes. "It was a dream. That guy's great."

"Ah'm glad for yah." She really was, but felt a pang thinking that she could have had that, if only she hadn't left New Orleans. She pushed the thought to the back of her head, but it seems Raven didn't. She was looking at Jade with sad eyes, and Jade knew she was going to ask that damn question again. Only this time, she would have to answer.

"Why did you leave, Jade? You could have been so happy…"

"Or not" she interrupted, looking at her hands in her lap. Raven hands came on her arm.

"You never told me why. You can, you know. I won't judge you, you know it. You know me." Jade sighed. She looked at the surroundings, a beautiful loft Raven had since her half brother died. She had come to live with her best friend years ago.

"Ah couldn't leave yah to pay all'o this yoself, Rav." Raven looked dumbstrucked, and suddently began to laugh.

"I own a restaurant, Jade! I could pay three appartments like this by myself!" Jade blushed, she knew she was right. But it was an easy answer. "Jade…I'm not sure I like the idea that you blame it on me that you left New Orleans."

"Ah don't blame yah!"

"Then why did you leave?" Raven wasn't smiling anymore, and Jade sighed.

"Ah was afraid." Raven frowned.

"Did he hurt you? Force you?" Jade's head snapped up.

"No! No, Ah wanted to…" Raven's mouth fell open.

"You slept with him?" She was squealing again, and Jade flinched at the girlish sound.

"Please, Rav…"

"You slept with him, and left him the morning after? God, Jade, that's horrible!" Jade closed her eyes when Raven finished, enjoying the suddent silence.

"Ah know" she finaly whispered after a long moment. "But Ah was afraid of what he is." Raven frowned.

"What _is he for you to run away?"_

"A dangerous man, the head of the Guild of Thieves. Ah was afraid of the world he's livin' in. Ah thought about it all night, and Ah really liked him… But… Now Ah think it's stupid." Tears were welling to her eyes, and she felt Raven's hand on her shoulder.

"Of course you do, dear. You always do." Raven sighed and rubbed her back as silent tears rolled on her cheek. "Jade, why are you so afraid of being happy? You run away at the first sign of hapinness like it was a raging dog." Jade opened her mouth to reply, but couldn't find any words. Simply because she didn't know why.

"Ah… Ah don't know." Raven sighed again, and her hand left Jade's shoulder. She got up, and looked down at her.

"I'm off to bed… dear, please think about this, okay? Promise you will?" Jade nodded, and Raven left the living room, leaving her with her thoughts, her regrets, and her doubts…

To be continued…

* See chapter 2 if you suffer from amnesia.

I know, that was awfully short… But like I said, I have to cut off the chapter in order to go slowly… I want things to make sense!


	11. Onze

**Okay, so it's coming to an end now… *snifs the air around* Can you feel the fluff coming?**

**The Name Changer : Thanks again for the hint… Now I can check chapters up when they don't work! Yay!**

**ladychopsticks : Well thanks for reading… And I knew about chapter 9, I always test read my chapters once their on the net, to check for mistakes I didn't see on word (I always do, halas). It's available now, though.**

**MzJenna : Well, this one is a little bit longer, and the story is coming to an end (a happy end. I promise the summum of fluff and sap)…**

**Kaitland : Thanks… And I am working hard on reuniting the two, but hey, if Jade doesn't do her part, it's going to be hard on Remy trying to hunt her down. But well… Let's all cross our fingers!**

**TheWalrusWasPaul : Oh darn, I surely hope all of those who want to hunt me down don't reunite and organize a beat to find me, or I'm cooked. *sigh* or I can reunite the two of them. If it can save my life…**

**LiLRogue : I'll sure go and read your fics, once I have the time… I'm trying to finish this first, though!**

**Pookie Sanchez : Oh no! Not review!!! Anything but review!!! Lol. Noooooo!**

**Yumiko : Ah yay, another hunter! *sigh* I'm getting nervous! Why do you think I pop up two chapters a day? I've gone to bed at ****1:30**** last night, and was up at 7, only to please you! And I'm on VACATION! Yay!**

**nessie : *frowns at the review* Whoa. You need help! LOL I dream about Gambit too, but mostly about my own stories. That's where the plot attacks, you know… In my dreams *shiver*. Must… not… fall… asleep…**

**Enjoy!**

_Chapitre onze_

A lump was stuck in his throat, but it would lodge, even with the three glasses of water he drank. Sitting on the other side of the table was his brother Henri, a brother he had thought dead for two weeks now, and who litteraly came back from the dead the very morning. His left leg was in a cast, and bandages covered his hands and wrists. Several cuts covered the left side of his face, but they looked like they were healing well. Remy was listening to his brother's tale as he explained to him and Émile what really happened, how he jumped through the window, how he lost consciousness and woke up in the house of strangers that took care of him instead of bringing him to the hospital. But his mind was elsewhere.

Henri's return meant a lot, meant that things would change. Remy wasn't the oldest living LeBeau anymore, and chances are that the Guild would claim Henri as leader of the Thieves, especially with the attitude Remy had shown in the last weeks. Remy smiled. That was exactly what he wanted.

~~

"_Qu'est-ce qui ne va pas, Remy?" What's wrong?_

Remy snapped his head up at the question, and met his brother's blue eyes. They were alone at the table now, everyone had left to their previous occupation, and Henri was waiting for Mercy to show up. And Remy didn't want to miss that. But he had drifted away in his reverie again, and Henri smiled.

"Émile told me y'haven't been yerself lately, Rem. Care t'tell me what's wrong?" Remy gave him a small smile, and streched in his chair.

"Well, you comin' back solves a lot." Henri stayed silent for a moment, then looked at him, narrowing his eyes.

"You don' like leadin' de Thieves, Rem? I would'ave thought you'd always wanted to." Remy sighed.

"I would'ave liked to, _mon frère_, if it didn't mean I had to loose m'brother and  father in de process." Henri stared at him, reading his eyes, and then chuckled, shaking his head.

"Nah, Rem. Dere's somethin' else ye're not tellin' me." Remy looked up at his brother's eyes and stared, hard. But Henri smiled, staring back, and Remy looked down at his hands, locked together on the table.

"It be a woman, Henri." There. He said it. He ran his fingers through his hair, expecting his brother's laugh. But it didn't come, and Remy looked up to find Henri frowning.

"A woman? And since when do women drive'y upside down like dat?" Ah, there it was, the smile creeping slowly on Henri's face. "She must be a witch or somethin'. In any way, a very powerful woman…" Remy sighed, and put his face back in his hands.

"I don' know" he mumbled, his voice muffled in his hands. "I barely known her fo'five days, and she's been gone fo'two weeks now." Henri sighed with relief.

"Y'scared me. For a moment dere, I thought y'were after Bella Donna again." Remy snorted.

"Non, never since she last tried t'kill me." Henri laughed softly.

"And almost succeeded." They both stopped talking for a few moments, enjoying the silence. Then Henri talked, softly. "What happened?"

"She and her friend got attacked by de Assassins" he sighed, his voice as low as Henri's. "We brought dem here for protection, 'til de day her friend's wound healed, and dey got home."

"And y'fell in love with her?" Henri looked more amazed by his own question than by the situation itself. His young brother? In love? Remy chuckled.

"I be dammed if I know, Henri. S'not like I've been in love before." Henri narrowed his eyes at him, and smiled. He leaned back in his chair.

"Do y'know where she lives, _petit frère_?" Remy gave out a long sigh.

"New York." Henri grimaced. That was a hell of a big city to look for someone. "I know it's big Henri. And I don't t'ink de Guild's contacts can help us with dis."

"Well, we can always use de traditionnal way, she must have a phone number. What's her last name?" Remy looked at him with a blank stare, and Henri's mouth slowly opened. "Don' tell me you…"

"I don' know." Henri sighed.

"So much for de traditionnal way."

"Henri?" Both men looked up to see a beautiful brunette standing in the doorframe, holding the hand of a very proud looking Marguerite.

"Allo, Mercy." Henri got up, and she ran in his arms. Remy looked down at his own hands and arms, and suddently smiled with the image of a young woman in it.

Okay, so he didn't know her last name, and finding a young woman in her mid-twenties in the city of New York would be a hell of a challenge.

But he loved challenges.

~~

Jade sighed, and looked at the sky through her window. Working at the 50th floor of a building had it's advantages, and she always felt like she was flying whenever she looked down. She loved her office. She loved her job. But she didn't feel like working with numbers today, the report would have to wait. She let herself drop in a small couch by the window, and sighed, closing her eyes.

Almost a month ago now, she left New Orleans and a fantastic man behind, because she was stupidly afraid of the world he was living in. Two weeks since she had that talk with Raven, two weeks since she had begun thinking about going back.

Could she? And what if she did? Nothing in the short relation she had with Remy told her he would be waiting for her. It's not like they had fallen in love or anything, they'd only known each other for a few days… She sighed, laughing at her own denial. Would she take the chance of going back, only to be thrown away? Only to have her heart broken into pieces? She looked down at her hands, imagining them on his skin, feeling the softness of the dark auburn hair, light locks brushing against her face. She closed her eyes, tasting his kisses again, and her chest tightned. It already hurt so much to think about him, would she take the chance of seeing hatred in the georgous red eyes, and be hurt even more? Was the chance of him being happy to see her worth it?

She started when she heard the knock on the door. "Yes?" Her assistant popped her head in the office, a large grin on her face, as always.

"Telephone on line one, Miss Fraser." Her heart leaped, like it always did.

"Who is it?"

"It's Miss Darkholme… I tried to tell you on the interphone, but it's broken." Jade sighed, and took the phone, nodding to Julia. The girl gave her a final smile, and her head dissapeared behind the door.

"Hi, Raven."

"Hey, girl!" She seemed out of breath, and Jade could hear kitchen sounds and an entire mob talking along with her friend's voice.

"God, Raven, where are yah? In the middle of a Stones show?"

"I'm at the restaurant, Jade! Look, it's crazy here, I have to stay longer! I'm sorry I won't make it for dinner, I might be home late." Jade smiled.

"It's okay, Rav. Ah had nothin' planned, anyways." She heard the sound of a plate crashing on the floor, a hand on the receiver, and the distant sound of Raven yelling something to a probably incompetent busboy. Then  her voice came back, sounding mildly annoyed.

"Darn, I have to leave… See you tonight, girl!"

"Bye, Rav." The communication was cut, and she hook back the receiver. 

Raven was dating Bobby for two weeks now, which was a personnal record for the man's woman. It looked serious enough, and Jade knew that, one day, she would be alone in an appartment. She loved her friend dearly, but she would have to move on with her life one day. She turned her chair to face the window, got up and walked to the glass, putting her hands on it. She looked down to the street and the feeling of flying came back. She smiled at the sight of people running on the large sidewalks, and the yellows cabs stuck in the traffic, shaking fists popping out of a driver's window once and awhile. Rush hour. But since Raven wasn't coming home for diner, she might as well do a little overtime herself.

But the look Bobby gave Raven each time he came at the appartment to pick her up, and the way Raven gave it back to him haunted her, and after an hour, she hadn't touched her calculator once. She turned to the window again, watching the sun go down and the lights come up in the skyscrapers. And the same thought came to her again. Was the chance of him being happy to see her worth the try?

She decided it was.

**To be continued! **

**Hey, will you look at that! The plot dissapeared! YAY!**


	12. Douze

**Sorry I won't review the reviews… I'm kind of in a hurry right now, so I didn't proof read this for mistakes, and I'll comment when I post up the final chapter tomorrow (promise)… Have fun! And please, stop the death threaths! This is really hard on the nerves!! *giggles* Not! In fact, it's rather flattering, as long as I'm sure you don't know where I live *sticks out her tongue* That means I can do anything I want to my characters!!**

**Enjoy!**

Chapitre douze

Considering the fact that nobody knew her last name, her profession, or anything about her aside the fact that her name was Jade and that she had a friend named Raven, two weeks of hard work to find her last name, her job, her phone number along with a complete address was a record to write in the Guiness book. 

They had first found out that she had been living at the little bed and breakfast owned by good friends of the Guild. What a luck. From there, it was almost easy for the resident pirate Émile to hack his way into credit cards registers, finding a name and a profession. And then through the company files, to find a phone number and an address. There is was, on a single sheet of paper in his hands. He looked at it, a smile beaming on his face. It had been a month since she had gone. But they had found her.

"Two weeks' not bad, huh?" He looked up to meet Émile dazzling smile. His grin widened.

"Merci, Lapin. I really appreciate." The paper was yanked away from his fingers, and Remy turned to see his brother frowning at it. Henri looked up, his narrowed eyes lit with amusement.

"An accountant?" Remy half-shrugged, but couldn't hide his smile when Henri continued. "An accountant with a thief?" He looked down at the paper again, and nodded with appreciation. "We could use a personnal accountant in de Guild…" Clicking his tongue in exasperation, Remy took the sheet of paper away from Henri's hands before he could say anything else, and headed for his room.

He had stuff to pack.

~~ 

She begged the taxi driver to wait and hurried to the front door, quickly unlocking it so she could get shelter from the pourring rain. Then she ran to the elevator, and looked at her reflection smile in the clean polished stainless steel of the elevator door. When was the last time she smiled?

She stormed into the loft, and was surprised to find it empty. 'Oh yeah, Raven's working late tonight.' She ran to her room, picking random clothes and throwing them in a small suitcase. The lady on the phone said the plane left at 9:30. She looked at her alarm clock and gasped. 8:30. She ran to the bathroom, picking up her stuff, and ran again towards the kitchen. She quickly wrote a note for Raven and, with one last look at the kitchen and living room, left the loft, and locked the door with a smile.

The taxi was still waiting for her and she jumped in, giving the driver a large smile. He just frowned, and head off for the John F. Kennedy Airport.

~~

He shivered in the New York autumn air, and shrugged, trying to keep the heat inside his body. A small cool draft washed over him, sending his hair in his face, and he sighed in exasperation. Why did she had to be in the North of the country, where cold existed? He already missed New Orleans and the hot bayous.

He pulled back his left sleeve and looked at his watch. 8:45. He shivered again, walked to the street, and hailed a taxi. 'Let's just hope dey heat dese cars in september' he thought as he put out his cigarette with his feet, and hopped into the car. 

**

He payed the taxi driver and got out of the car. He looked at his watch again, more out of nervousity than anything else. 9:00. He walked to the front door, and looked at the interphone. His eyes scrolled the names on the list of inhabitants, and his heart leaped when he didn't see the name Fraser in the list. Why wasn't she there? He looked again, an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. Then his heart sank, and he remembered she lived with Raven.

"What the hell is Raven's last name?" he hissed to himself. What was he supposed to do, push all of the buttons in hope she would answer one of them? He was pondering on the eventuality when he heard footsteps behind him. A woman cleared her throat.

"Can I help you?" He turned and was about to say 'well yes, of course', but his mouth turned into a smile. That was even better.

"Oh, hi Raven." She stood mouth agape on the sidewalk as she recognized him. Her umbrella was dripping on her light blue jacket, but she didn't seem to notice as her eyes detailled him from head to toes.

"You're Remy LeBeau?" It was a statement more than a question, but he smiled in answer. A large grin appeared on Raven's face as she slowly realized what he was doing here. "You're here for Jade!" It was almost a squeal, and he pushed back the urge of putting his hand on her mouth to shut her up.

"Yeah, well… I couldn't find her name on de list, so…"

"Ooooooh, that's because it's my name that's on the list." She beamed and pushed him away so she could unlock the door. "Jade's upstairs, let's give her the surprise!"

The treck up to the 10th floor was torture, with Raven winking every floor or so, but he smiled to himself. The girl was a pain when she was excited, but he probably was even more excited than her. He hid it well, that's all.

It took him all his might to stay calm as they walked to the appartment door. Raven smiled, put her hand on the knob, turned and pushed. In another situation, he would have laughed to see the look of pure surprise on Raven's face when the door didn't open, but he didn't, seeing the worry paint itself on her face as she went through her key holder to find the right key. "That's odd" she said in a low voice. "She never locks the door when she knows I'm coming late." She opened the door and froze.

The appartment looked empty. All the lights were turned off, and Raven's cat came meowing, running to them and rubbing against Remy's feet.

"Jade?" Raven called, and turned to Remy. "Where on Earth could she be? She never goes out alone."

"Could she had gone to a friend's?" Raven shook her head, and he tried something else, the uneasy feeling in his stomach slowly turning into a cold stone. "Maybe she worked late?" Raven's eyes lit up.

"Of course, I called her this afternoon to tell her I'd work late. Maybe she did the same. Wanna wait for her here? I'll make some coffee." Remy nodded, but in vain, as she already was in the kitchen. He picked up the meowing cat and rubbed it between the ears, but he froze when he heard Raven's gasp. Dropping the cat, he ran to the kitchen and pushed the door.

"What's wrong?" Raven was standing by the lunch counter, a small paper in her right hand. The other hand was on her mouth, and round caramel eyes switched from the paper to him.

"Oh my God" she only said, and he took a step toward her.

"What?" he was getting annoyed by the moment. "What's wrong, Raven?" Both her arms dropped to her sides and her shoulders shook slightly, from laughter or sobbing, he couldn't tell.

"You know, if I were seeing this in a Julia Roberts movie, I'd laugh. But now…" She looked back at the paper, then at him again, and sighed. "She left." Remy felt his blood freeze in his veins, and his shoulders slumped.

"Left? Left where?" She looked at him a few moments, mouth opened, and finaly talked.

"To New Orleans. She says her plane took off at 9:30."

"New Orleans?" A mix of joy and fear mixed in his head as he turned slowly towards the microwave. She had gone to find him? But…

He moaned. 9:25. He'd never make it.

**Do you know what a writer's block is? Well I know now. So I'm just going to post this up to keep you waiting, and the final chapter will be up tomorrow, promise! Okay, if it helps in any way, Jade's not going back in ****New Orleans****… I hate that kind of yoyo thing, and it would cost a fortune in plane tickets. I'm cliché, but not THAT cliché *grin***


	13. Treize

**Well, here I am… Things kinda went bad here in the last weeks, relinquishing fluff to the dark corners of my mind, but guess what brought me back today? My boyfriend proposed to me! *SQUEAL* I'm getting MARRIED! Nothing like a candlelit birthday dinner with a boyfriend on his knees, handing me a little blue velvet box, to bring back fluff in your head. In fact, I'm not sure I could write anything else…**

**Je me sens mal d'être heureuse, alors que tu vis des temps de souffrances… Ceci est pour toi, Matthieu, même si tu ne liras probablement jamais cette histoire… N'oublies pas, tu n'es jamais seul avec ta peine, et je reste à tes côtés, quoi qu'il arrive.**

**Enjoy.**

_Chapitre treize_

She looked deep into the green eyes, framed with her coppery hair and pale, almost white locks. Her eyes were full of anger and frustration, but also on the verge of tears. She put both her hands flat on the mirror, closed her eyes, breathed deeply, and counted to ten. It wasn't like it was the end of the world, no? She'd waited a month to see him, surely she could wait another day? She opened her eyes and moaned. No. Now that she'd made the decision to go back to him, she couldn't wait anymore. Letting loose her frustration, she pulled back her hands from the mirror, and let her fist bang on the hand paper distributor. The force of the blow opened the fragile plastic lid, and the paper roll dropped from it, rolling on the floor. A woman came out of a cabin and watched her warily before hurrying out of the women's room. Jade looked at the mirror again, rubbing her hurting hand, and her shoulders shook in a half-sob, half-laugh.

How could she miss her plane?

This plane was taking her to New Orleans, to him, to a new life… and she missed it?

She took her handbag and left the women's washroom. She headed for the glass doors, but stopped in her tracks. What would she tell Raven? The situation was ridiculous, at least seen through another person's eyes, but she felt like it was the end of the world right now, and she couldn't stand Raven's reaction to her return, whatever it may be. She cast a last look at the door, but turned and headed for the lines of plastic chairs near the big windows.

Jade let herself fall back to sit on one of the red chairs, put her burgondy handbag on the chair next to her, and let her head drop in her hands. She sighed deeply, trying to calm herself down. The situation was ridiculous, and by no means desperate. She would just have to wait another day to see him, and that was all. She half sobbed. He wasn't even aware of her coming, it's not like he would worry or anything… No. The only problem was that she was angry with herself. Very angry. With herself, and the darn desperately slow taxi driver.

~~

He hung up the phone from which he could still hear Henri's laugh and turned to the big windows. Why had he come here? Surely she was already gone, leaving on the plane that was taking altitude in the dark sky. It was dark outside, and he could see the skyscrappers enlighted with thousands of lights. His eyes drifted upwards again, back to the flashing red lights taking Jade away to New Orleans, where Henri and Émile would be waiting for her and ready to send her back to New York on the next plane. Him? He would stay just here, sitting on these plastic chairs, until she came back. He wasn't going to move a toe from this airport.

Remy slowly walked to the lines of red chairs, now almost empty at this time of day. He sat on one of them, next to a burgondy handbag, without a look for the person sitting on the next chair.

At least not until she sighed, and leaned back in her chair. He looked at her, and his jaw dropped. 

'It's her!' he first thought. Then 'Why is she here instead of on the plane?' She seemed completely oblivious of him and her surroundings, and stared at her two hands, holding her old leather purse in her lap. Her auburn hair was tied back in a loose ponytail in her neck, the coppery waves reaching the small of her back, and two pale curls framed her sad face, too short to stay secured behind her ears. Her emerald eyes were almost closed, dark lashes resting on her high cheeks, and it was not until then that he realized she had cried. Her cheeks were stained with dry tears, and her still wet lashes blinked hard as a fresh tear dripped down her cheek, dying on her upper lip. She licked it, bitting her lip, and closed her eyes in an attempt not to cry.

Why wasn't she on the plane? Had she changed her mind, and decided not to go to him? His heart squeezed painfully in his chest at the thought. He vainly repressed a sigh, and reached out to her.

~~

Jade wanted to be alone. She wanted to wait until everyone would leave, and then cry alone on her seat until she didn't feel stupid anymore, or until the next plane for New Orleans would leave. But the moment she thought she was alone, that man had to sit right next to her. She didn't look at him, and closed her eyes. Maybe he would leave if she ignored him. But he didn't.

She sighed deeply and leaned back, her eyes still closed. She didn't notice when the man shifted on his seat, nor when he sighed deeply. But she noticed the brushing of his hand on her temple, pushing a lock away from her face. Startled, she grabbed his wrist and yanked the hand down, and looked up at the face of this stranger. She gasped.

He looked as surprised as her to see her, and his eyes were intent on hers, like red hot embers. His soft, long, straight auburn hair had been tied up at the back of his head, but shorter locks escaped and fell in his face, and the ponytail brushed the hem of his brown trenchcoat. He looked tired and a light beard covered his cheeks, and she realized that he must have been up early to take the plane for New York. Her heart fluttered at the thought. He had come for her?

He made her a small smile, and tugged at his wrist, still in her grasp, and she blushed when she saw she was still holding it, her knuckles gone white with the pressure she was putting in her fingers. She let him go and he rubbed his wrist as his grin grew larger.

"Didn't know y'had such a strong grip, _chère_."

"Ah train" she said, and slapped herself mentaly. What kind of reply was that? Her face gone red, she got on her feet, and he looked up at her, his eyes questionning her. "Remy… what are… why are yah here?" His grin faded slightly and his eyes left her face. He looked around at the almost empty room, licking his lips, and looked down at his hands. She felt miserable, this really wasn't going like she wanted it to go. Why was she asking this question?

"I thought de answer would be easy, _chère_." He looked at her again, getting on his feet as well. She knew she was tall, but he was a little more than six feet tall, and towered a good head over hers. She resisted the urge of looking away to hide her blush, and tilted her head back, looking in his eyes. He was a good two feet away from her, but she could feel his presence, and the smell of cologne mixed with tobacco smoke came to her nose, raising goosebumps on her arms, and waking up a familiar warmth in her stomach. And he hadn't touched her yet… "I came here fo'you." Very simple words, but enough to make her insides melt. She smiled, the corners of her lips trembling.

"Why… why did yah come now?" She kept her hands clasped on her purse, to keep them from shaking. He moved forward, his warm presence enveloping her in a pleasant cocoon.

"Y'didn't leave a name, _Mademoiselle_ Fraser… It took us two weeks to give'y an identity, and find'y in dis jungle y'call a city." He reached out a hand and gently traced the line of her jaw with a soft finger. She closed her eyes, shivering, but he pulled his hand back and the warm feeling shooed away with his touch. "I would have come sooner, _chère, if y'd left me a chance to find'y." His tone had dropped to a serious one, and she was very aware of his presence in front of her. Her lungs hurt, and she noticed she wasn't breathing anymore. She took a deep breath._

"Ah'm sorry Ah left… Ah… Ah was afraid, Ah guess. Ah wasn't ready for all of this."

"And you aren't yet." It sounded more like an affirmation than a question, and she looked up into his eyes to find a look of resignation in the burning embers. She frowned.

"What?" 

He narrowed his eyes. "De plane left, Jade. Why are'y still here?" She slowly opened her mouth, realizing he thought she had changed her mind about going to New Orleans. She smiled, a chuckle escaping from her lips, and walked the last step separating her from him, putting both her hands on his chest. His hands flew upwards, gently settling on her arms, his thumbs drawing light circles on the tender skin of the inside of her wrists.

"Ah missed mah plane, sugah. Ah would have flew to yah without a second thought if that darn taxi driver hadn't been so slow." He smiled and bent his head, bringing his eyes inches from hers.

"I'm glad he was. Or I would've gone to New Orleans, and y'would've come back here, while I had to come back here too, givin' y time to go back to New Orleans…" She chuckled and let her hands run on the rough fabric of his trenchcoat, slowly taking the lapel of the coat between her thumbs and index. She tugged at it, forcing him to bent his head down a little more, and spoke in a whisper, close enough to know he could feel her breath on his lips. She was feeling dizzy, but she knew she was in full control of herself. A new herself, perhaps, but still in control. His hands on her arms twitched, but he didn't pull away.

"Now _that would have been cliché, wouldn't it sugah?" His grin largened, if such a thing was possible, and he bent his head even more, his rough cheek brushing on hers. She shivered and closed her eyes, inhaling the smell of men's perfume coming from his neck._

"I love clichés, _chère_. But I wanna know what'y want." She opened her eyes, and turned her head to look at him.

"Ah want you" she answered, surprising herself with the frankness in her voice. He let go of her wrists and his arms went down, circling her waist and bringing her close to him.

"Dat's not a full answer. Y'want me to stay here, or y'want to go back with me?" She smiled. Him? Survive in New York? He wouldn't live to see the first snowflakes.

"Ah don't care. Ah only want you, and Ah don't want yah to die in the cold." He laughed softly and tilted his head, bringing his lips on hers. **(A/N: about time! Pfft, men!) He kissed her softly at first, his hands on the small on her back, pulling her body against his. She soon circled his neck with her arms and stood on tip-toe, pushing the kiss deeper until their body's basic need for air pulled them appart. He let his head tilt down until his forehead was against hers, and spoke.**

"I'm still a thief, y'know."

"And Ah'm a very pig-headed woman, when Ah want." He smiled and kissed her, quick and soft.

"Ye're gonna have to stand Henri." Her eyebrows went up at that, and he shrugged, a smile on his lips. "Yeah, he's alive, and ready to rock."

"That means…" He nodded, a look of great satisfaction in his eyes.

"I'm no leader anymore." She couldn't resist giving him a smile.

"Well, yah're all gonna have to stand me." He squeezed her a little more, and gave her a devilish grin.

"I leave de toilet seat up. Ye're gonna have to pull it down ev'rytime." She laughed.

"What is this? A plan to make me change mah mind? Well Ah've got news for yah, sugah, Ah leave the toilet seat down, so yah're gonna have to pull it back up everytime." It was his time to laugh, and she warmed up at the sound of his low-tone, franc laughter.

"You win, _chère." He kissed her again. "But ye're not gonna convince me I'm de looser in dis relationship."_

They were interrupted by a light cough, and they turned their head to see Raven standing next to them, her hair wet and her jacket soaked up and dripping, leaving small puddles of water on the floor. She raised her hand, showing the dangling keys in her hand, and narrowed her eyes at Remy.

"Care to go back in the car, since you found her? I'm getting tired of waiting in the rain." She was trying to look serious, but the corners of her mouth betrayed her. Remy smiled, and Raven rolled her eyes, turning to Jade.

"I'll drop you at the appartment, but I'm spending the night at Bobby's place." Jade nodded, and Raven winked devilishly. "I'll go get the car." She turned to leave and Jade moved to follow her, but Remy caught her arm.

"Wait."

His hands went to her face, cupping it gently, and he bent down, putting his lips on her offered ones. She moaned and stood on tip-toe, her arms going around his waist, and she slid her hands under the trenchcoat and t-shirt to feel his skin under her fingers. His hands slid to the back of her head, pushing her lips hard against his, as his tongue searched for hers. She answered his silent question and arched her back, her breasts crushing against his chest, and his hands went in her back, pressing her against him. They both started when they heard a second cough, and turned their head with a smile.

An old lady glared at them, rolled her eyes, and walked away, murmuring to herself on how young persons had no good sense today. Jade smiled and looked at him. "Ah wonder if Ah'll think like that too, when Ah'm her age." Remy looked at her a long time before answering.

"I don't know, _chérie_. But I'll still be dere in fifty years to talk about it with you." Her smile faded, and she searched his face for any humour. There wasn't.

"Promise?"

"Promise."

**The end…?**

**Comments on the reviews in the following "chapter"…**


	14. Quatorze

There, it's finished! Lots of things happened before I managed to finish this thing, and I feel a little pang at the thought of it. I feel like it's not finished, and something's missing… that's why I let the door opened to a sequel, but I'm not intending on working on it for now. I try finishing my other works before I begin anything else…

I'm getting married! *another annoying girlish squeal* It's the reason fluff came back to me, and the reason I was able to finish it with a positive ending. Everyone say _"Merci Pierre-Luc!"_

Many warm thanks to all of those (Lupine Draconis, TheWalrusWasPaul, xXxRoguexXx, Panther Nesmith, kaitland, ishandahalf, Yumiko) who wrote beautiful words of encouragement to my friends and me. Karine passed away during the night of August 25, but your messages helped me a lot, you have no idea.

BabyXtreme : I really glad you love it… I usualy update kinda fast, when I have time and inspiration. Both of which I had trouble finding these days… But I'm really happy to have a new reviewer! I hope you won't treathen to kill me if I don't update. *grin*  Reader's on FF.N tend to do that sometimes!

Panther Nesmith : I love seeing (reading?) people dance when they read my stuff… Kinda like a balm on my humble writer's heart…

Ladychopsticks : If the suspense was making you insane, I hope you're not in an asylum right now, banging your head on the big white walls there… *sigh* I'd really feel guilty! There! The end of the story!

Pookie Sanchez : Okay, maybe not as cliched, but still, this was sappy and fluffy… am I suffering from serious juliarobertism? *eyes widen* Oh no!

Ishandahalf : THERE! They're back together, and they're going back to New Orleans! Happy? *grin* I hope so! Now, I know you're going to make a comment about that '?' after 'the end…'… Yes, yes, I'm opening the door to an eventual sequel to this. I repeat, I'm _opening the door. Which means I'm not intending to write anytime soon… I still have to finish 'Sixteen Years' (if I can write that damn action scene, everything will be alright…), and then I want to go on with 'But it ain't home', which is going to take all of my available writing time… And now, I HAVE A MARRIAGE TO PLAN!!! *SQUEAL* YAY! Just so you know I WANT to write more Romy, but I'll have to find the time. Besides, Solitaire3 mailed me a very very interesting idea for another A/U Romy, and I might begin to work on it before Xmas. Might. Oh, and my friend, loyal reviewer and funniest reader I ever had, I WANT you to drive me insane. That's what makes me write stuff like that._

MzJenna : Well, I think I'm going to work on a new definition of 'soon', but this is the fastest update I could come up with. And you'll have to thank my boyfriend (ahem, no, my fiancé! *squeal*) for that!

Kaitland : Glad you like it! I wrote as fast as I could.

xXrogue-demonXx : Yeah, sorry, I shouldn't have made promises I couldn't keep… But hey, better late than never!

Rogue Raider : Thanks a lot! But I couldn't write without reviews!

Foofighta : I'm happy to see your name in the reviewers list, but hey, you didn't review up to the last chapter! *grin* And yes, it would get very "hot in here" if Remy was anyplace near me… If I were single, that is. Of course. (I'm getting married!!!!!! Yay!)

Thank you also to those you read but don't review. I love you as well, but would love you even more if you'd leave a little message, like "I love it" or "You suck", anything!

Also, thank you (and sorry) to those who review, but whose review alert I don't get in my mailbox. Know your reviews are really appreciated (when I do find out about them), and that reviews are food for a writer.

Thank you (I can never say it enough),

See ya next time!


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